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Afghan women fear moving out alone due to Taliban’s regulatory obligations: UN report | World News
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NEW DELHI: Afghan women are reluctant to venture out alone, expressing fear and unease due to Taliban decrees governing clothing and male guardianship, outlined a UN report. The report precedes a UN-convened meeting in Doha, where member states and special envoys are slated to discuss engagement with the Taliban.
Since assuming power in 2021, the Taliban has imposed stringent measures, excluding women from public spheres and limiting girls’ education beyond the sixth grade.The constraints extend to restricting unmarried women or those without a male guardian from accessing work, travel and healthcare. Non-compliance with the Taliban’s interpretation of hijab, the Islamic headscarf, leads to arrests.
Published on Friday, the UN mission’s report reveals that enforcement of these decrees involves arrests, harassment and intimidation. Women express an increasing reluctance to frequent public spaces due to the risk of arrest and the enduring stigma associated with police custody.
According to the report, over half of the interviewed women feel unsafe when unaccompanied by a male guardian or mahram. Security risks and anxiety intensify with each new decree targeting them. Although women accompanied by a mahram feel safer, they note the stress of depending on someone else. Some report criticism from male guardians for deviating from prescribed routes or wanting to visit specific shops, hindering their ability to enjoy brief moments of stimulation or leisure outside the home.
Additionally, male relatives are hesitant to accompany female family members outside the home, fearing Taliban harassment. Heather Barr from Human Rights Watch, described Afghan women’s fear of leaving home unaccompanied as “damning and devastating.”
Questioning the focus of the Doha meeting, Barr said, “This begs the question of what on earth this discussion is in Doha, with the UN hosting special envoys. We need to be asking why the focus of this meeting and every meeting isn’t about this crisis that is unprecedented for women around the world.”
The UN envoy for Afghanistan had previously warned the Taliban that international recognition as the legitimate government hinges on lifting restrictions on women, making it nearly impossible until such changes occur.
Since assuming power in 2021, the Taliban has imposed stringent measures, excluding women from public spheres and limiting girls’ education beyond the sixth grade.The constraints extend to restricting unmarried women or those without a male guardian from accessing work, travel and healthcare. Non-compliance with the Taliban’s interpretation of hijab, the Islamic headscarf, leads to arrests.
Published on Friday, the UN mission’s report reveals that enforcement of these decrees involves arrests, harassment and intimidation. Women express an increasing reluctance to frequent public spaces due to the risk of arrest and the enduring stigma associated with police custody.
According to the report, over half of the interviewed women feel unsafe when unaccompanied by a male guardian or mahram. Security risks and anxiety intensify with each new decree targeting them. Although women accompanied by a mahram feel safer, they note the stress of depending on someone else. Some report criticism from male guardians for deviating from prescribed routes or wanting to visit specific shops, hindering their ability to enjoy brief moments of stimulation or leisure outside the home.
Additionally, male relatives are hesitant to accompany female family members outside the home, fearing Taliban harassment. Heather Barr from Human Rights Watch, described Afghan women’s fear of leaving home unaccompanied as “damning and devastating.”
Questioning the focus of the Doha meeting, Barr said, “This begs the question of what on earth this discussion is in Doha, with the UN hosting special envoys. We need to be asking why the focus of this meeting and every meeting isn’t about this crisis that is unprecedented for women around the world.”
The UN envoy for Afghanistan had previously warned the Taliban that international recognition as the legitimate government hinges on lifting restrictions on women, making it nearly impossible until such changes occur.
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