The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has condemned the Taliban’s newly enacted “Law on the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice,” which it claims erases women’s presence in public life. The OHCHR, represented by Chief Spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani, has called for the immediate revocation of the law, highlighting its severe infringement on women’s autonomy and rights.
“This law effectively silences women, turning them into faceless, voiceless shadows,” Shamdasani stated, emphasizing the legislation’s intolerance and violation of international human rights standards.
Adopted last week, the law imposes stringent measures on women, mandating full-body covering, banning public voices, and restricting movement without a male guardian. Even the sound of a female voice outside the home is considered a moral breach. The law also enforces male beard mandates, prohibits music in vehicles, and limits media freedom by banning the publication of images.
The law grants state agents broad powers to detain and punish individuals, exacerbating the already dire human rights and humanitarian situation in Afghanistan.
OHCHR’s Shamdasani stressed that such measures would only worsen the crisis, urging for unity among all Afghans to address the country’s challenges.
“This is a time to bring together all people of Afghanistan, regardless of gender, religion, or ethnicity,” she said.
The UN’s top envoy to Afghanistan, Roza Otunbayeva, echoed these concerns, describing the law as a “distressing vision” for the country’s future. She criticized the law’s punitive nature, which includes threats of arrest for minor infractions and restrictions on personal freedoms.
Otunbayeva underscored that the international community had been engaging with the Taliban in good faith, hoping for a peaceful and prosperous future for Afghanistan.
“The world wants to see Afghanistan where all Afghans have rights and are not merely subjects to be disciplined,” she said. She warned that further curtailing rights and instilling fear will hinder efforts to achieve peace and prosperity.
