Afghanistan’s Taliban enforcing restrictions on single, unaccompanied women, UN report says
- The Taliban have barred women from most areas of public life, as part of harsh measures after taking power in 2021
- There are no official laws about male guardianship in Afghanistan, but the Taliban have said women cannot move around without a man who is related to her by blood or marriage
In one incident, officials from the Vice and Virtue Ministry advised a woman to get married if she wanted to keep her job at a healthcare facility, saying it was inappropriate for an unwed woman to work.
The Taliban have barred women from most areas of public life and stopped girls from going to school beyond the sixth grade as part of harsh measures they imposed after taking power in 2021, despite initially promising more moderate rule.
There are no official laws about male guardianship in Afghanistan, but the Taliban have said women cannot move around or travel a certain distance without a man who is related to her by blood or marriage.
Three female healthcare workers were detained last October because they were going to work without a mahram. They were released after their families signed a written guarantee that they would not repeat the act, the report said.