The human rights of millions of Afghan women and girls have not been respected since the Taliban took power in 2021, Amnesty International writes. The Taliban promised in 2021 that they would protect women’s rights, but their policies are “draconian,” the human rights organization writes in a new report.
“Every daily activity – going to school, working, leaving home – is under control and severely curtailed,” said Agnès Callamard, Amnesty’s secretary general. Women are no longer protected against domestic violence and oppression, the organization says.
Forced Marriages
Because people have no money to take care of their children, there have been more child and forced marriages in the past year, according to Amnesty. Women who protest peacefully are often threatened, arrested, detained and tortured, the report said. Some women would even “disappear”.
Women who have been in jail described to Amnesty how they were beaten, kicked and tortured by the Taliban. To prevent them from sharing pictures of their injuries with the outside world, the women were beaten between their legs and breasts. There was a lack of food, water, ventilation, sanitation and health care in the prison.
Targeted sanctions
Amnesty wants the Taliban to drastically change policy. Callamard calls on the international community to enforce this with targeted sanctions. “If the international community fails to do something, it will abandon the women and girls in Afghanistan.”