UN body to hold urgent debate on Afghan women, girls’ rights

GENEVA (AP) — The U.N.’s top human rights body is to hold an urgent debate next week to discuss the erosion of rights of women and girls in Afghanistan since the Taliban takeover nearly a year ago. Human Rights Council spokesman Rolando Gomez said the Geneva-based rights body was expected to hold the debate next Friday as part of its ongoing summer session. The European Union and France requested the urgent debate and cited restrictions that women and girls have faced such as lack of access to jobs, education and public life generally under the Taliban since their return to power last August.