8 March: Amnesty International — Many Women in Afghanistan Have Been Forced to Abandon Their Own Identity

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8am: On the occasion of International Women’s Day, Amnesty International says that many women in Afghanistan have had to set aside their identities and become invisible. The organization said in a statement on Sunday, 8 March, that it is calling for an end to human rights violations in Afghanistan. The organization says that the Taliban continue these practices of torture, sexual harassment, arbitrary detentions, and censorship without any accountability. Click here to read more (external link).

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Four Afghan boxers miss Youth Olympic qualifying event

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Amu: Four members of Afghanistan’s national boxing team have missed the opportunity to compete in the Youth Olympic qualifying tournament. The competition, which determines qualification for the Youth Olympic Games, is currently being held in Thailand. Click here to read more (external link).

Other Afghan Sports News 

10th day of border fighting: Taliban, Pakistani forces clash again in east

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Amu: Taliban and Pakistani border troops clashed again Saturday morning along the frontier in Paktika province, as fighting between the two sides entered its tenth day, according to local Taliban officials. Abdul Qadoos Makhdum, the Taliban district chief in Terwa district, said Taliban forces had launched attacks on five Pakistani border outposts and that the fighting was still continuing. Click here to read more (external link).

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UN Women: Afghanistan Stands Alone as the Only Country Barring Girls from School

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8am: On Saturday, March 7, on the occasion of International Women’s Day, the organization stated that the deprivation of girls in Afghanistan from education threatens their future and that this situation should not be normalized. UN Women added that there is currently not a single girl receiving an education in secondary schools across Afghanistan. Click here to read more (external link).

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Afghanistan: New criminal regulation targets women and minority groups with ever-harsher punishments

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Amnesty International: The new Criminal Regulation recently endorsed by the Taliban leader will further entrench violence and discrimination against women, Amnesty International said in a new legal analysis documenting its wide-ranging and regressive impact on human rights. The “Criminal Procedure Regulation of the Courts”, which lays out punishments and sentencing for a range of vague and overly broad offences, criminalizes domestic violence only in cases where a woman has suffered a broken bone or visible injuries. The decree also prescribes a three-month prison sentence for any woman who regularly visits family members without her husband’s permission and who refuses a court order to return home. The regulation also prescribes harsh punishments for religious non-compliance, more severe punishments for people of lower social status and recognizes slavery. Other provisions authorize the destruction of property as a form of punishment, institutionalize torture and other ill-treatment through corporal punishment, and sanction the death penalty for a greater number of offences. Click here to read more (external link).

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UN says 185 Afghan civilians killed or wounded in border clashes with Pakistan

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Khaama: The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said in a report released on Friday, March 6, that 185 civilian casualties were verified between Feb. 26 and March 5. The casualties included 56 killed and 129 wounded, mostly due to airstrikes and indirect fire during clashes along the border with Pakistan. The mission said more than half of the victims, about 55% — were women and children. UNAMA added that one airstrike in Barmal district of Paktika province alone killed 14 civilians, including four women, two girls, five boys and three men, while six others were wounded. Click here to read more (external link).

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ISKP attack in Kabul punches holes in Taliban regime’s claims

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eurasianet: A attack earlier this year by the Islamic State of Khorasan Province (ISKP) on a Chinese restaurant in a supposedly secure district in the Afghan capital, Kabul, is a setback for the Taliban regime. Not only was it an embarrassment to the regime as it laid bare its limited capacity to provide foolproof security to foreign nationals; it is also likely to have drawn the ire of the Chinese, who have promised investment in Afghanistan. Ultimately, the incident offers additional evidence that, as a February report published by the UN Security Council states, the Taliban “provide a permissive environment for a range of terrorist groups.” Other countries keen on investing in Afghanistan will have taken note. More recently, the outbreak of sustained fighting between Taliban forces and the Pakistani military add to the uncertainty surrounding Afghanistan’s investment climate. Click here to read more (external link).