An Unlikely Duo Is Leading Female Senators To Call On Biden To Protect Afghan Women

WASHINGTON, DC — All 24 female U.S. senators are asking President Joe Biden and his administration to come up with a plan to protect the rights of Afghan women and girls following the U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan.

The bipartisan request is being led by an unlikely duo: Sen. Dianne Feinstein, a Democrat from California, and Sen. Joni Ernst, a Republican from Iowa.

In a letter sent to Biden, the group of senators asked his administration to develop an “interagency plan” to protect and preserve the political, social, economic and basic human rights of Afghan women and girls.

The plan would address how the United States would work with other international agencies to hold the Taliban accountable for its actions against women and girls.

“Last year an estimated 3.5 million girls were in school, with 100,000 women enrolled in public and private universities. Women also began to succeed in business and government," the letter reads. "However, lacking a legitimate Afghan government and military forces to protect them, women and girls are now suffering the predations of a Taliban regime with a track record of brutalizing, isolating, and denying them life and liberty."

The letter stressed the urgency of the situation, stating that "Afghan women and girls need our action now."

"You have committed to press the Taliban to uphold the rights of women and girls, and you have stated that America will maintain an enduring partnership with the people of Afghanistan resisting Taliban rule," the letter continues. "We will advise, support, and enable those efforts through legislation and engagement with your Administration."

The United States completed its withdrawal from Afghanistan on Aug. 30, ending a 20-year conflict in the war-torn country. As evacuations were underway, the Taliban rapidly seized control of the country from the Afghan government.