'A cat has more freedom than a woman': Meryl Streep at UN General Assembly on Taliban law

Actress Meryl Streep said that “in Kabul a female cat has more freedom than a woman” while speaking on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York City on September 23, where activists called for Afghan women’s rights to be upheld. The event, hosted on the eve of the annual General Assembly debate, aimed to raise awareness of Afghan women’s rights while presenting a film called The Sharp Edge of Peace on four Afghan women leaders’ participation in the Doha talks before the Taliban takeover. “Today in Kabul a female cat has more freedom than a woman. A cat may go sit on her front stoop and feel the sun on her face, she may chase a squirrel in the park,” Streep said. “A squirrel has more rights than a girl in Afghanistan today because the public parks have been closed to women and girls by the Taliban. A bird may sing in Kabul, but a girl may not in public. This is extraordinary. This is a suppression of the natural law,” the actress continued. “The way that this culture, this society has been upended is a cautionary tale for the rest of the world,” warned Streep after noting that Afghan women gained the right to vote in 1919, before the US or France, and then lost it. Subscribe to CTV News to watch more videos: Connect with CTV News: For live updates and latest headlines visit: For breaking news, fast, download the CTV News App: Must-watch stories and full programs at CTV News on TikTok: CTV News on X (formerly Twitter): CTV News on Reddit: CTV News on LinkedIn: --- CTV News is Canada's most-watched news organization both locally and nationally, and has a network of national, international, and local news operations.