Last month, the Taliban in Afghanistan announced a new law under the “Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice” aimed at enforcing strict rules on women’s behavior and dress. Issued on August 21 by the ministry for Promoting Virtue and Preventing Vice, the law mandates that women must cover their bodies and faces entirely and prohibits them from speaking or singing loud enough for non-family members to hear.
This law is part of the Taliban’s interpretation of Islamic Sharia law, which they have been enforcing since retaking power in August 2021.The new rules also state that a woman’s voice is now considered ‘awrah’—an intimate part that should not be exposed publicly. The law outlines punishments for violations, which will be enforced by the Taliban’s morality police, known as Muhtaseebs, who can detain individuals for up to three days.
The United Nations (UN) has strongly criticised this law. Following the UN’s condemnation, the Taliban’s ministry of Vice and Virtue urged the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) not to compare Afghanistan with “Western theories and non-Islamic societies.” The ministry also announced it would cease cooperation with UNAMA, accusing the organization of spreading “misleading propaganda.”
UN officials, including spokesperson Stephane Dujarric and Ravina Shamdasani of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, have expressed grave concerns. They argue that the law effectively erases women’s presence in public life, violates their fundamental rights, and worsens the human rights situation in Afghanistan. UN High Commissioner Volker Turk has called for the immediate repeal of the law, which he describes as deeply repressive.
The United Nations continues to engage with the Taliban and other stakeholders in Afghanistan, despite these developments. The Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General, Rosa Otunbayeva, highlighted that the new law imposes intolerable restrictions on Afghan women and girls, further isolating them from public life. She is expected to brief the UN Security Council on the situation in Afghanistan on September 18.
This law is part of the Taliban’s interpretation of Islamic Sharia law, which they have been enforcing since retaking power in August 2021.The new rules also state that a woman’s voice is now considered ‘awrah’—an intimate part that should not be exposed publicly. The law outlines punishments for violations, which will be enforced by the Taliban’s morality police, known as Muhtaseebs, who can detain individuals for up to three days.
The United Nations (UN) has strongly criticised this law. Following the UN’s condemnation, the Taliban’s ministry of Vice and Virtue urged the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) not to compare Afghanistan with “Western theories and non-Islamic societies.” The ministry also announced it would cease cooperation with UNAMA, accusing the organization of spreading “misleading propaganda.”
UN officials, including spokesperson Stephane Dujarric and Ravina Shamdasani of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, have expressed grave concerns. They argue that the law effectively erases women’s presence in public life, violates their fundamental rights, and worsens the human rights situation in Afghanistan. UN High Commissioner Volker Turk has called for the immediate repeal of the law, which he describes as deeply repressive.
The United Nations continues to engage with the Taliban and other stakeholders in Afghanistan, despite these developments. The Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General, Rosa Otunbayeva, highlighted that the new law imposes intolerable restrictions on Afghan women and girls, further isolating them from public life. She is expected to brief the UN Security Council on the situation in Afghanistan on September 18.
