As the academic year ends in Afghanistan, students are saying goodbye to their teachers and classmates. But for girls as young as 11, it’s the end of their education altogether, due to the Taliban’s prohibition on girls studying after the sixth grade. One top student, whose identity has been concealed for her safety, told RFE/RL’s
Ayaz Gul VOA News December 10, 2024 Islamabad — The United Nations reported Tuesday that women and girls are bearing the brunt of a persistent “dangerous erosion” of human rights in Afghanistan, attributing the crisis to an “intentional failure” of the country’s radical Taliban leaders. “With authority comes responsibility,” said Roza Otunbayeva, the head of the
Amu: Karim Khan, the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), met with Afghan women’s rights activists on Friday to underscore the court’s focus on addressing gender-based crimes in Afghanistan. In a statement posted on X, the ICC said, “Alongside victims and civil society, the Office of the Prosecutor has prioritized action on gender-based
Amu: A group of women and girls staged a protest outside the Taliban governor’s office in the western province of Herat on Thursday, decrying the recent ban on female participation in medical education. Chanting slogans like “education is justice and learning,” the demonstrators described the directive as oppressive and a blow to their basic rights.
Ayaz Gul VOA News December 3, 2024 ISLAMABAD — Taliban authorities in Afghanistan are reported to have banned medical schools from admitting female students, removing the last remaining opportunity for women to pursue higher education. The decree issued by the reclusive Taliban leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, took effect Tuesday, a day after it was communicated at a
Amu: Now, the owners say they have lost everything. “We invested everything we had into these businesses, but the Taliban has taken it all away,” one cafe owner said. “If the closures are permanent, I will have no money left to secure my future.” The closure of the cafes follows a broader crackdown on women’s
Khaama: Prosecutor Karim Khan confirmed that his office has already launched investigations into the alleged crimes in Afghanistan, including human rights violations against women, and will continue these efforts. The Prosecutor emphasized that investigations have been independent, impartial, and focused on allegations of gender-based discrimination and harassment. Click here to read more (external link).
The Guardian (UK): Destitute Afghan women arrested for begging under draconian new Taliban laws have spoken of “brutal” rapes and beatings in detention. Over the past few months, many women said they had been targeted by Taliban officials and detained under anti-begging laws passed this year. While in prison, they claim they were subjected to
8am: The human rights organization “Rawadari” has revealed the shocking state of the educational system under Taliban rule in its latest report. The findings expose how the Taliban has radically reshaped the curriculum, aligning it with their ideology and mandating the teaching of their religious doctrines. The report highlights the disorder and chaos caused by
Amu: The Taliban have started shutting down women-only cafes in Herat Province in western Afghanistan, further eroding the few remaining spaces where women can gather freely under their restrictive rule. In the past week, at least three such cafes have been forced to close, with the Taliban’s morality police warning the owners of two others