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Afghanistan: UN reports severe restrictions on women's rights
UN Women and UNESCO have released data highlighting a severe crisis for women and girls in Afghanistan five years after the Taliban returned to power. According to UN Women, approximately 50% of women in the country now leave their homes only once or twice a month due to severe restrictions on freedom of movement and public participation.
UNESCO reports that since 2021, the Taliban have banned roughly 2.4 million girls from accessing secondary education. Afghanistan remains the only nation in the world that prohibits girls from secondary school and women from attending university. Furthermore, UN Women notes that over 100 decrees have been issued specifically targeting women and girls, institutionalizing discrimination.
Recent legislative changes have also reportedly abolished legal gender equality, strengthened male authority in marriage, and made divorce nearly impossible for women. In response, Saifullah Kheibar, a spokesperson for the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, denied reports of insecurity. He claimed that for the first time in nearly 50 years, all Afghan citizens feel safe and that the situation for women's rights is moving in a ‘positive direction’ based on local interpretations of Islamic law.
Entities
Afghanistan · Saifullah Haibar · Saifullah Kheibar · Taliban · UN Women · UNESCO
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 4 SOURCES] Saifullah Kheibar, representing the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, stated that security has improved for all citizens for the first time in nearly 50 years. www.businessdaily.gr · www.reader.gr · www.efsyn.gr · www.sofokleousin.gr
- [● 2 SOURCES] Nearly three-quarters of women in Afghanistan report that they do not feel safe. www.businessdaily.gr · www.sofokleousin.gr
- [● 4 SOURCES] Since 2021, the Taliban have banned approximately 2.4 million girls from accessing secondary education. www.businessdaily.gr · www.reader.gr · www.efsyn.gr · www.sofokleousin.gr
- [● 2 SOURCES] Over 100 decrees have been issued by authorities specifically targeting women and girls. www.businessdaily.gr · www.sofokleousin.gr
- [● 4 SOURCES] Afghanistan is the only country globally that prohibits girls from secondary education and women from university access. www.businessdaily.gr · www.reader.gr · www.efsyn.gr · www.sofokleousin.gr
- [● 4 SOURCES] Approximately 50% of women in Afghanistan leave their homes only once or twice per month due to movement restrictions. www.businessdaily.gr · www.reader.gr · www.efsyn.gr · www.sofokleousin.gr