ISLAMABAD: According to a recent UN report on Thursday, Taliban officials are incarcerating Afghan women as a purported measure to safeguard them from gender-based violence.
In 2021, prior to the Taliban assuming control, Afghanistan had 23 state-sponsored women protection centers where survivors of gender-based violence could find sanctuary. However, a recent U.N. report revealed that these shelters no longer exist. According to officials from the Taliban-led administration, these refuges were deemed unnecessary, dismissed as Western constructs.
The report further highlighted distressing measures by the Taliban: women without male relatives for protection face imprisonment, while those with male relatives considered unsafe also encounter this threat. Additionally, authorities demand assurances from male relatives pledging non-violence towards their female family members, often calling upon local elders to witness these guarantees.
Women are sent to prison for their protection “akin to how prisons have been used to accommodate drug addicts and homeless people in Kabul,” the report said.
The Associated Press reached out to ministries under Taliban control to inquire about available support for survivors of gender-based violence, existing protective measures, and the conviction rates for perpetrators. Unfortunately, there was no one accessible for comment.
Since the Taliban assumed control in 2021, women and girls have faced increasing restrictions, being confined to their homes, prohibited from pursuing education past the sixth grade, accessing public spaces, or holding most jobs. They must also be accompanied by a male escort for journeys over 72 km and adhere to a specific dress code.
A decree in July further enforced limitations by ordering the closure of all beauty salons, one of the few places women could frequent outside their homes. This compounds Afghanistan’s longstanding reputation as one of the most challenging places globally for females.
Prior to the Taliban resurgence, millions of girls were already out of school due to cultural and various other factors. Instances of child marriage, violence, and widespread abuse were prevalent.
Human rights organizations cautioned that Taliban governance would likely exacerbate violence against women and girls, eradicating any existing legal safeguards. Women are now excluded from judiciary and law enforcement roles, unable to handle cases of gender-based violence, and permitted to work only when summoned by male superiors, according to a U.N. report.
