Taliban Imposes Stricter Controls on Unmarried Afghan Women, UN Report Reveals
A recent UN report highlights the Taliban’s intensified restrictions on single and unaccompanied Afghan women, curbing their access to essential aspects of life like work, travel, and healthcare.
Women Advised to Marry for Job Retention: The Vice and Virtue Ministry reportedly advised an unmarried woman to marry if she wished to retain her job at a healthcare facility, deeming it inappropriate for unmarried women to work.
Broader Restrictions on Women: Since seizing power in 2021, the Taliban has imposed severe measures, restricting women from education beyond the sixth grade, closing beauty parlors, enforcing a dress code, and arresting those not complying with their interpretation of hijab.
UN’s Quarterly Report Highlights Crackdown: The latest quarterly report from the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, covering October to December 2023, reveals an intensified crackdown on single or unaccompanied Afghan women by the Taliban.
Male Guardianship and Mahram Requirement: While there are no official laws regarding male guardianship in Afghanistan, the Taliban insists that women cannot travel a certain distance or move around without a mahram, a male relative by blood or marriage.
Detentions and Restrictions: Last October, three female healthcare workers were detained for going to work without a mahram, later released after their families provided written guarantees. In Paktia province, the Vice and Virtue Ministry restricts access to health facilities for women without mahrams.
Enforcement Through Checkpoints and Inspections: The ministry, functioning as the Taliban’s morality police, enforces hijab and mahram requirements at public places, offices, and educational institutes through checkpoints and inspections.
Accusations and Taliban’s Response: Taliban’s chief spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, dismisses the UN report, labeling it as based on misunderstandings. He accuses the UN mission of ignoring or criticizing Islamic law and emphasizes the necessity of fully implementing Shariah.
Islamic Rulings as Human Rights: Mujahid asserts that an Islamic government must adhere to Shariah, including rules on hijab, male guardianship, and gender segregation. Any criticism or opposition to these rulings, he claims, is an insult to the beliefs of the Afghan people.
As the UN sheds light on the increased oppression faced by unmarried Afghan women under Taliban rule, concerns grow over the erosion of women’s rights and the need for international attention and action to address this grave situation.
Re-reported from the article originally published in The News Minute
