- Human Rights Watch report documents how Taliban authorities have severely restricted rights of women and girls and freedom of media in Afghanistan since taking power 2 years ago.
- Women banned from secondary education, most jobs; severe limits on movement and expression.
- Extensive censorship imposed on media, increased harassment and arrests of journalists.
- Afghanistan facing dire humanitarian crisis, with over 28 million people in urgent need of aid.
- Taliban policies worsening food insecurity, disproportionately impacting women and girls. Banning women from work cuts off livelihoods.
- Arbitrary detentions, torture, summary executions carried out by Taliban forces.
- Taliban needs to urgently reverse abusive policies and restore rights. International community should press Taliban while providing aid to Afghans.
Worsening Rights Abuses and Humanitarian Crisis Under Taliban Rule in Afghanistan
A new report by Human Rights Watch documents the increasingly repressive policies imposed on women and girls and restrictions on media freedoms under Taliban rule in Afghanistan over the past two years. The report paints a dire picture of a country plunging into humanitarian catastrophe, with the Taliban showing callous disregard for the basic rights of women and dissenting voices.
Since regaining control in August 2021, the Taliban have systematically rolled back hard-won rights in Afghanistan. Women and girls have been banned from secondary and higher education and from most employment. Their freedom of movement and ability to participate in public life have been severely curtailed. The Taliban have imposed draconian limits on independent media, arbitrarily detaining journalists and critics.
The Taliban’s discriminatory policies have worsened the humanitarian crisis gripping Afghanistan. With rocketing food insecurity, over 28 million Afghans now need urgent aid. Banning women from most work has cut off vital livelihoods. The UN reports over 90% of Afghans have insufficient food.
The report urges the Taliban to urgently reverse course and restore fundamental rights for women, girls and the media. It calls on the international community to pressure the Taliban while providing lifesaving assistance directly to the Afghan people. As Afghans endure increasingly desperate conditions after decades of conflict, their basic human rights should not be sacrificed.