In a troubling turn for press freedom and gender equality, a press conference by Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi in New Delhi barred women journalists from entry.
The event, held at the Afghan Embassy, featured only male reporters — a decision reportedly made by Taliban officials, despite India’s suggestion to include women.

Even as global norms emphasize inclusive media coverage, this exclusion echoes gender restrictions long enforced under the Taliban.
When questioned on women’s rights, Muttaqi deflected, citing national customs and insisting that Afghanistan’s stability has improved under Taliban rule.

Prominent voices in India expressed outrage.
Former Home Minister P. Chidambaram said male journalists should have walked out in protest of the exclusion.
MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra demanded clarity from the Prime Minister, challenging whether India’s professed support for women’s rights holds true in such moments.

This incident underscores how media access can be weaponized to silence half of the voices in society  even on foreign soil.

Should India have allowed a press conference that discriminated against women journalists  or should male reporters and officials have walked out in solidarity to uphold press freedom and gender equality?