NEW DELHI, 11 Oct: The opposition on Saturday termed the absence of female journalists from a press conference of visiting Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi “unacceptable” and an “insult to women,” and said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s silence in the face of such discrimination exposes the “emptiness” of his slogans on ‘Nari Shakti’.
The Indian Women’s Press Corps (IWPC) said that the act was “highly discriminatory” and urged the government to take the matter up with the Afghan embassy to ensure that such gender-based exclusion in media briefings does not occur in the future.
The press conference addressed by Muttaqi on Friday saw participation restricted to a handful of reporters, while
women journalists were conspicuous by their absence.
Muttaqi held the interaction at the Afghan embassy in New Delhi, hours after holding wide-ranging talks with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.
It is learnt that the decision on inviting journalists to the media interaction was taken by Taliban officials accompanying the foreign minister.
People familiar with the matter said the Indian side suggested to the Afghan side that women journalists should be part of the invitees for the event.
In a statement, the IWPC said it raises strong objections to the reported exclusion of women journalists at the press conference held by Muttaqi.
The decision for inviting journalists was reportedly taken by officials accompanying the foreign minister, who represents the Taliban regime that has faced severe criticism globally for restricting the rights of women, the IWPC said.
“Established to promote and advance the professional growth of women journalists, the IWPC sees this act as highly discriminatory. It goes against the grain of our democratic ethos and constitutional values that uphold gender equality,” the statement said.
“We urge the Government of India to take this matter up with the Afghan embassy to ensure that such gender-based exclusion in media briefings does not occur in the future,” IWPC said.
Earlier, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi launched a scathing attack on Modi over the absence of female journalists from the presser, saying that by allowing “exclusion” of women scribes from a public forum, the prime minister is telling every woman in India that he is “too weak to stand up for them.”
