Increasing violence against women and children in Afghanistan: A bitter reality under Taliban rule

KABUL: Since the return of the Taliban, the situation for women and children in Afghanistan has deteriorated significantly. Support institutions such as the Ministry of Women’s Affairs and the Independent Human Rights Commission have been dissolved, leading to widespread restrictions and violence against women. The Taliban have imposed mandatory hijab laws and strict social and educational limitations, emphasizing polygamous marriages. Some members of the group have taken multiple wives, disregarding women’s rights. Additionally, girls’ schools and universities have been closed, threatening the educational future of girls. Taliban leadership has mandated that men grow beards and wear turbans, further limiting individual freedoms. Domestic violence and suicide rates have risen in various provinces, with cases like the murder of a pregnant woman in Ghor and a female doctor in Nangarhar highlighting this crisis. Reports of sexual assaults and physical and psychological abuse have emerged, but many remain unreported due to fear. The Taliban have also prohibited women’s access to contraceptive services, placing economic and social pressures on needy families. Both domestic and international human rights organizations have repeatedly declared the situation of women and children as critical, yet no effective actions have been taken, with opposition often being merely symbolic. Women and children in Afghanistan are victims of a violent and discriminatory system, and their situation will not improve until fair laws and genuine support are established.