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UN bodies have condemned a new Taliban law that prohibits women from speaking or showing their faces outside their homes.
On August 28, 2024, UN Women expressed deep concern about the morality code recently enacted by the de facto authorities (Taliban) in Afghanistan. UN Women stated that the new law imposes wide-ranging restrictions on personal conduct, effectively erasing women from public life and granting broad executive powers to authorities.
The Commission affirmed its unwavering solidarity with every Afghan woman and girl subjected to these measures and its commitment to supporting the full realization of their rights.
On August 27, 2024, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk called on the de facto authorities in Afghanistan to repeal the new law, describing it as a reinforcement of policies that completely erase women’s presence in public spaces, “hiding their voices and depriving them of their individual autonomy.”
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani criticized the new law as “intolerable,” stating that it imposes a long list of repressive provisions that violate human rights.
The UN special envoy to Afghanistan, Rosa Otunbayeva, also denounced the new law as a “painful vision” for the country’s future.
What is the New Law in Afghanistan?
The leader of the Taliban movement in Afghanistan, Sheikh Hibatullah Akhundzada, approved the Law on the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice on August 22, 2024, granting broad powers to implement it. The law was overseen by the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice and was promulgated by the Afghan Ministry of Justice after a year-long debate before being submitted to the Taliban leader.
The law consists of a 114-page document with 35 articles, as seen by the Associated Press.
Article 13 is dedicated to women, stipulating that they must cover their bodies at all times in public and that their faces must be covered “for fear of fitna.” The article also states that clothing must not be thin, tight, or short. According to Article 13, women must refrain from interacting with all foreign men, including Muslims, and with all non-Muslims to avoid corruption.
A woman’s voice is considered ‘awrah’ and should therefore not be heard singing, reciting, or reading aloud in public. It is forbidden for women to look at men with whom they are not related and vice versa.
Article 14 also addresses men and their nakedness, while Article 17 prohibits the publication of images of “living beings.”
Article 19 prohibits playing music, the transport of women traveling alone (without a mahram), and the mixing of men and women unless they have a legitimate bond.
The law is not expected to affect women living in villages and rural areas, but its implementation may face challenges in major cities, especially the capital, Kabul.
The Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice is responsible for implementing the new law, and everyone (women, men, and foreigners) must comply without exception.
Actual Effects
Since the Taliban took over Afghanistan in August 2021, the de facto authorities have subjected Afghan women and girls to more than 70 decrees and directives, depriving them of their basic rights.
Data from UN Women shows that these restrictions severely impact the lives of Afghan women and girls, with 64% of women surveyed indicating that they do not feel safe leaving their homes alone, compared to 2% of men.
According to the preamble of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the law emerged as a necessity to protect human rights, ensuring that individuals would not be forced to rebel against tyranny and injustice. The Charter affirms the need to believe in fundamental human rights, the dignity and worth of the individual, and the equal rights of men and women.
According to Articles 2 and 3 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, everyone is entitled to all rights and freedoms without distinction of any kind, and everyone has the right to life, liberty, and security of person.
The Same Justice Human Rights organization calls on the international community to pressure the Taliban to stop or amend the new law in Afghanistan, facilitate women’s freedom of movement, and ensure the full realization of their rights.
Same Justice Human Rights also urges the UN Human Rights Council to collect evidence of gross human rights violations committed against women in Afghanistan, ensure that the Taliban government is investigated by the International Court of Justice, and hold human rights violators accountable.
