The Taliban has imposed additional restrictions on Afghan women, limiting their ability to work, travel, and access healthcare if they are unmarried or lack a male guardian.
According to a new report from the United Nations, officials from the Ministry of Vice and Virtue advised a woman to get married if she wanted to keep her job at a healthcare facility, deeming it inappropriate for an unmarried woman to work.
The Taliban has restricted women from most aspects of public life, including banning girls from attending school beyond the sixth grade, as part of the harsh measures imposed after they seized power in 2021, despite their initial promises of more moderate rule.
They have also closed beauty salons, enforced dress codes, and arrested women who do not adhere to their interpretation of the veil.
In May 2022, the Taliban issued a decree that requires women to cover everything except their eyes, recommending a full-face veil similar to the restrictions imposed during their previous rule from 1996 to 2001.
In their latest quarterly report covering the period from October to December of the previous year, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan stated that the Taliban is suppressing unmarried Afghan women or those without a male guardian or husband, preventing them from work or travel.
There are no official laws regarding male guardianship in Afghanistan, but the Taliban has stated that women cannot travel beyond a certain distance without a close male relative by blood or marriage.
In October of the past year, three healthcare workers were arrested for attempting to travel to work without a male guardian. The report notes that they were released after their families provided written guarantees that such behavior would not be repeated.
In the province of Paktia, the Ministry of Vice and Virtue has prohibited women without a male guardian from accessing healthcare facilities since December. The ministry conducts visits to healthcare facilities in the province to ensure compliance.
The ministry, which acts as the Taliban’s morality police, enforces hijab requirements and male guardianship when women visit public places, offices, and educational institutions through checkpoints and inspections.
Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban’s chief spokesperson, stated that the United Nations report is mostly based on misunderstandings and accused the mission of ignoring or criticizing Islamic law.
He said in a statement that with an Islamic government in power in Afghanistan, it is necessary to “fully implement all aspects of Islamic law on both men and women.” This includes enforcing hijab rules, male guardianship, and gender segregation in education and work.
He considered any criticism of these practices by the United Nations an insult to the beliefs of the Afghan people.
