The US has named two female diplomats to senior roles representing Washington in Afghanistan, as women’s rights in the country continue to deteriorate under the new Taliban government.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken appointed Rina Amiri as a special envoy for Afghan women, girls and human rights on Wednesday.
Amiri has spent two decades advising governments, the UN and think-tanks on issues related to Afghanistan. Under former US President Barack Obama, she served as a senior adviser to the US special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan.
“Rina brings over two decades of expertise and specialized knowledge that will advance our vital work toward a more peaceful, stable and secure Afghanistan for all,” Blinken said on Twitter.
Blinken also named Stephenie Foster, a Department of State veteran, as a new senior adviser for women and girls to US operations to evacuate and resettle Afghans at risk of retaliation from the Taliban after it took over the country.
The appointments come more than four months after the Taliban overran the country as the former Western-backed government collapsed and the last US troops withdrew after 20 years of war.
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