The Taliban government in Afghanistan is reportedly imprisoning survivors of women abuse, justifying it as a protective measure, according to a UN report. The UNAMA highlighted that this practice has detrimental effects on the mental and physical health of survivors. Additionally, state-sponsored women's shelters, crucial for protecting women, no longer exist as the Taliban government deems them unnecessary. The UNAMA report reveals that gender-based violence against Afghan women and girls has risen, exacerbated by economic, financial, and humanitarian crises. The Taliban's severe suppression of women's rights in Afghanistan is among the harshest globally.
Two years have elapsed since the United States withdrew its troops from Afghanistan, relinquishing authority to the Taliban. Nevertheless, the Taliban's grip on the nation remains tenuous, and the prospect of Afghanistan descending into a failed state characterized by warring warlords and a breeding ground for terrorism looms if their governance falters. Regrettably, the international community is offering scant support to a potential counterforce against Taliban dominance, an issue that should now be of paramount concern.
In July, following a directive from the Taliban administration in Afghanistan, which stated that all women's beauty salons must shut down within a month, videos surfaced on social media depicting women's protests both in the streets of Kabul and within their homes. These demonstrations, often accompanied by signs proclaiming "Bread, justice, work," were responses to the Taliban's actions since their takeover of Kabul on August 15, 2021.