Concerns rise over Taliban’s treatment of women in Afghanistan

The Taliban government in Afghanistan is putting female abuse survivors in jail and claiming it is for their safety, according to a UN report.

Erosion of Support Systems

Amidst the Taliban’s resurgence in Afghanistan, concerns have escalated regarding the treatment of women, as state-sponsored women’s shelters, previously providing critical support, have disappeared. 

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) highlights the dire impact of this shift, emphasizing its grave consequences for the mental and physical well-being of survivors.

Escalation of Gender-Based Violence

Even before the Taliban’s return to power, gender-based violence against Afghan women and girls was prevalent. 

The current economic, financial, and humanitarian crises have aggravated the situation, leading to an alarming increase in such incidents. Restrictions confining women to their homes have heightened their vulnerability to domestic and intimate partner violence.

Vanishing Support Structures

The dissolution of 23 state-sponsored women’s protection centers is a stark reality under the Taliban’s rule. The justification provided by Taliban officials—that women should be under the care of their husbands or male family members—dismisses these shelters as incompatible with their ideologies, labeling them as “western concepts.”

Proposal of Disturbing Solutions

The Taliban’s proposed solution of housing women without male relatives in prisons “for their protection” is met with severe criticism from the UN. 

This approach is condemned as an arbitrary deprivation of liberty, raising concerns about potential re-victimization, discrimination, and detrimental effects on the mental and physical health of vulnerable women.

Regressive Women’s Rights

This regressive stance on women’s rights highlights a concerning regression in Afghanistan, eliciting serious apprehensions about the safety and well-being of women and girls under the Taliban’s governance. The absence of critical support systems raises significant alarm about the future of women’s rights and safety in the country.