The Taliban took control of the government of Afghanistan three years ago and have since continued to oppress women and girls in the country by introducing numerous rules that restrict their basic human rights. The latest set of laws published by the group focuses on promoting virtue and eliminating vice, requiring women to be fully veiled in public, including covering their face and eyes. Additionally, women are not allowed to use perfume or makeup, laugh loudly, sing, recite, or read out loud in public. The new laws also ban the publication of images of living beings and mandate the separation of men and women.
The Ministry for the Prevention of Vice and Propagation of Virtue in Afghanistan released a 114-page document detailing the new laws, with penalties for violations including advice, warnings, confiscation of property, detention, and court referrals as deemed appropriate. The Taliban also silenced a female journalist during a live media event in compliance with the morality law that prohibits women from speaking or showing their faces in public. These measures have been met with criticism from United Nations officials, who have described the new laws as extending already intolerable restrictions on the rights of Afghan women and girls.
The Taliban’s spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, issued a statement warning against arrogance from those unfamiliar with Islamic law, particularly non-Muslims who might express reservations or objections to the new laws. Mujahid emphasized the importance of understanding and respecting Islamic values when considering these laws, characterizing rejection of them without proper understanding as an expression of arrogance. Prior to the introduction of the vice and virtue laws, women and girls in Afghanistan were already facing significant limitations on their rights, including restrictions on education and employment and requirements to adhere to a strict dress code.
Women and girls in Afghanistan were already prevented from attending school beyond sixth grade, accessing many forms of employment, participating in public activities, and were required to comply with a strict dress code before the introduction of the new laws by the Taliban. The group had also announced the reintroduction of public floggings and stonings of women for adultery earlier this year. Reports of femicide in Afghanistan since the Taliban took control indicate a worrying trend of gender-based violence in the country, with hundreds of cases reported as potentially just the “tip of the iceberg.” Despite international outcry and condemnation of the Taliban’s treatment of Afghan women, the supreme leader has maintained that women are provided with a “comfortable and prosperous” life under their rule.
