On August 21, 2024, Afghanistan’s de facto authorities ratified a controversial “Law on the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice,” which imposes extensive and oppressive restrictions on the Afghan population, particularly targeting women and girls. This law deepens the already severe curtailment of their rights, mandating women to cover their entire bodies and faces, forbidding them from interacting with non-Muslims, and even prohibiting them from using public transport alone or looking at men to whom they are not related by blood or marriage.
Since their takeover of Afghanistan three years ago, the de facto authorities have implemented over 70 edicts, directives, and decrees that have systematically stripped Afghan women and girls of their fundamental rights. According to UN Women, these oppressive measures have had devastating impacts on the lives of Afghan women and girls. Only 1% of women surveyed feel they have any influence over decision-making in their communities, 64% do not feel safe leaving their homes alone (compared to just 2% of men), and 8% know at least one woman or girl who has attempted suicide since August 2021.
UN Women has strongly condemned these laws and policies, calling for their immediate reversal. The organization emphasizes that the de facto authorities must adhere to their obligations under international law to ensure the full rights of all women and girls. UN Women stands in unwavering solidarity with Afghan women and girls and will continue to work with its partners to support the full realization of their rights.
