Taliban's New Law Erases Women, Justifying Violence Against Them

The Taliban's latest "vice and virtue" law strips Afghan women of their most basic rights, silencing their voices and erasing them from public life.

The Taliban's new "vice and virtue" law severely restricts Afghan women's rights, silencing them in public and enforcing strict dress codes

Women are prohibited from speaking, singing, or praying aloud, and must cover their entire bodies and faces in public

Since regaining power in August 2021, the Taliban have rolled back two decades of progress in women's rights, including banning girls from education beyond the sixth grade

The Taliban dissolved the Ministry of Women’s Affairs and replaced it with the Ministry of Virtue and Vice, which enforces these laws through a morality police

Humanitarian aid has been severely impacted, as women are barred from working with the United Nations and NGOs, making it difficult to assist women and children in need

Women have no legal recourse as the Taliban have abolished the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission and other protective mechanisms

The new law also censors media, forbids friendships with non-Muslims, and grants extensive power to religious inspectors to enforce the rules through intimidation and punishment

The international community's efforts to improve the status of Afghan women have been undermined, as evidenced by recent high-level talks excluding Afghan women

These oppressive measures contradict Afghan traditions and culture, where women have historically fought for their rights, highlighting a severe human rights crisis