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October 10, 2025 – Afghanistan/India –
Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, visiting New Delhi, held a press conference at the Afghan Embassy—but no women journalists were allowed to attend. The exclusion was widely criticized as a blatant act of gender discrimination.
Journalists at the scene noted that invitations were extended only to a select group of male reporters. One remarked sarcastically, “Apparently, Indian women journalists cannot attend a presser … because the Taliban likes it that way.” The Network of Women in Media, India (NWMI) sharply condemned the decision, faulting both the Taliban and the Indian government for failing to take a clear stance against the discriminatory move.
Under mounting pressure, Muttaqi announced a second press meeting, this time explicitly inviting women journalists. Meanwhile, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) clarified that it had no role in organizing or restricting access to the press conference. Leaders, including Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, denounced the exclusion as an affront to Indian women and called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to publicly condemn the act.
India’s political class also weighed in. Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra accused the government of “dishonouring every single Indian woman” by permitting the exclusion. Former Union Minister P. Chidambaram asserted that male journalists present should have walked out in protest upon realizing that their female colleagues were unwelcome.
The incident not only exposed the deepening challenges faced by women journalists everywhere but also raised questions about diplomatic protocol: can a visiting dignitary impose such restrictions on media access on another country’s soil? The event became a stark reminder of how women’s rights and press freedom remain under severe strain in many contexts—even beyond war zones.
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