Since their return to power in August 2021, the Taliban have progressively imposed a system of systematic repression, particularly targeting women and girls. The enactment of the “Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice” law in August 2024 marked an intensification of this policy, reinforcing a series of restrictive decrees that effectively erase women from public life.
This legislation imposes severe restrictions: women are forbidden from speaking in public, must fully cover their faces, and are required to obscure the windows of their homes to prevent any outside view. These measures aim to confine women to the domestic sphere, depriving them of their fundamental rights and dignity.
Despite these oppressions, Afghan women demonstrate remarkable resilience. They organize clandestine protests, continue educational activities in secret, and use social media to spread messages of resistance. Exiled figures, such as journalist Khadija Amin, continue to support the cause from abroad by providing humanitarian aid and facilitating visas for those seeking refuge.
The international community has expressed deep concern over this situation. The European Parliament has condemned the Taliban’s law and denounced the erasure of women and girls from public life in Afghanistan. Lawmakers have called for the recognition of gender apartheid as a crime against humanity and have urged additional sanctions against the Taliban regime.
Richard Bennett, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan since May 2022, has been banned from entering the country, reflecting the Taliban’s intent to conceal the realities of their rule. Nevertheless, he continues to denounce human rights violations and advocates for a coordinated international response to support the Afghan people.
The situation in Afghanistan remains critical, requiring urgent attention and action from the international community to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe and protect the fundamental rights of all Afghans.
