The Taliban rulers have recently compelled around 600 female workers to leave their jobs
United Nations Assistance Mission in its latest report has said that the Taliban’s Ministry of Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice played a key role in enforcing restrictions on women’s rights, particularly in areas of work, education, and freedom of movement. The ministry’s actions, including impeding unmarried women and those without a male guardian from working or accessing services, were documented during the reported period.
The report covers the last quarter of 2023, shedding light on the challenges faced by women in a country grappling with humanitarian issues. Factors such as non-compliance with the hijab or dress code, the absence of a male relative (mahram), and other restrictions on women visiting public places led to the dismissal of at least 600 women from their jobs in two Afghan provinces.
In one instance, the report noted that 400 women were prohibited from working in a pine-nut processing plant in Nangarhar province without providing reasons, while male employees continued their work. Additionally, 200 women were reportedly dismissed from a Taliban-run power plant in Balkh province, allegedly due to financial reasons, without any corresponding action taken against male employees.
The enforcement of restrictions extended to advising an unmarried female healthcare worker to get married or risk losing her job, highlighting the pervasive impact on women’s lives. The report also detailed instances of officials visiting a bus terminal to ensure women were not traveling without a male relative, limiting their freedom of movement.
While the report emphasized that there is no general ban on women’s employment in Afghanistan, it underscored how the mahram requirement effectively limits women’s right to work unless they have a male relative to accompany them.
UNAMA’s findings also touched on arbitrary arrests, detentions, and limited freedom of expression for human rights defenders and journalists, including women, from October to December. The report documented a concerning rise in suicide bombings and attacks on the predominantly Shiite Hazara community, with Islamic State militants claiming responsibility for the violence, resulting in the death of nearly 50 Afghan Shiite Muslims and numerous injuries.