Jonathan Landay, Andrea Shalal

WASHINGTON (Reuters), -U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has named Rina, a former U.S. Government adviser, to be the special envoy for Afghan women and girls.

We want a secure, peaceful and stable Afghanistan where Afghans are able to thrive and live in peace, equality, economic and social inclusion. Blinken released a statement saying that Amiri, Special Envoy to Afghanistan, will be working closely with me towards that goal.

Amiri spent over two decades working with governments and the United Nations on Afghanistan-related matters. Former President Barack Obama appointed her as the U.S. special Representative for Afghanistan, Pakistan.

Stephenie Foster is a State Department Veteran who was named by Blinken as the new Senior Advisor for Women and Girls to U.S. Operations to Evacuate and Relocate Afghans.

In August, the Taliban invaded Afghanistan. The former Western-backed government fell and U.S. troops pulled out after twenty years of war.

Taliban has been enforcing restrictions on women’s rights since then. They have banned most girls from working, and many of them from attending school. Officials in the United States decry this as backtracking by Islamist extremists despite promises they will respect human rights.

Women’s rights organizations have criticized the Biden administration for not allowing safe passage for militants who had been long targeted by Taliban.

Amiri said earlier this year to Reuters, that the evacuation of women in danger was a complete disaster.

Biden stated early in policy discussions at high levels that concerns regarding women’s right would not influence his decision to leave Afghanistan. She also said she had promised during the campaign to develop a gender-sensitive foreign strategy.

This week, the Taliban ruled that women who travel more than 45 miles (72 kilometers) must be accompanied in their journeys by close male relatives. The Taliban also prohibited the use of any music inside vehicles.

The United States and other governments have accused the Taliban of failing to establish an “inclusive” government and they have expressed concern over reports of summary executions and the disappearances of former Afghan security force members.