UNITED NATIONS: The latest report of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) revealed that under Taliban rule, Afghan women reporting incidents of gender-based violence may find themselves in prison, allegedly for their own protection.
The report found that, instead of opting for formal complaints, many survivors choose ‘traditional dispute resolution mechanisms’ within their communities due to fear of reprisals from de facto authorities, including the fear of being revictimized.
Before the Taliban’s takeover in 2021, Afghanistan had 23 state-sponsored women protection centers providing refuge for survivors of gender-based violence. However, the report indicates that none of these centers exist under the current regime.
Compounding the victims’ plight is the handling of gender-based violence complaints primarily by male police and justice personnel, as the Taliban has almost entirely removed women from public life and civil service roles since regaining power in August 2021.
Gender-Based Violence in Afghanistan After Taliban Takeover
The report highlights the disappearance of mechanisms and policies facilitating legal redress and protection for victims since the Taliban takeover. Shockingly, 23 state-sponsored women’s shelters were dismantled, with Taliban officials claiming that women survivors should be with their husbands or other male family members. Being sent to prison, allegedly for their own safety, was the only alternative, deemed some officials.
UNAMA said that imprisoning women under the guise of protecting them from gender-based violence constitutes an arbitrary deprivation of liberty with severe consequences for their mental and physical health. The report reiterates the Taliban authorities’ obligation to ensure justice in cases of gender-based violence, eradicate the pervasive culture of impunity, and provide protection and access to services for victims.
UNICEF on Children’s Emergency Protection
In a related development, UNICEF warned that the protection needs for children in emergencies, from Ukraine to Gaza and Sudan, have never been greater, yet the humanitarian funding forecast for 2024 appears increasingly bleak. Attacks against humanitarian actors worldwide have surged, and UNICEF’s Deputy Executive Director for Humanitarian Action and Supply Operations, Ted Chaiban, said that flexible funding for aid is shrinking.
UNICEF has launched a $9.3 billion emergency funding appeal for 2024, citing critical underfunding in emergencies such as Sudan, Burkina Faso, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Myanmar, Haiti, Ethiopia, Yemen, Somalia, South Sudan, and Bangladesh.
