On Monday, January 22nd, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) released a report highlighting the human rights situation in Afghanistan from October to December 2023. The report primarily addresses the continued restrictions on women and girls, incidents of violence against the Hazara community, and violations of women’s human rights in Afghanistan.
The United Nations Mission in Afghanistan has documented a widespread expulsion of women from their workplaces in various provinces over the past three months, as outlined in their recently published report.
The report states that on October 22nd, in Nangarhar province, the Taliban prevented about 400 women from working in a pine nut processing factory, while men were allowed to continue working. UNAMA noted that no reasons were provided for this prohibition.
On November 22nd, in Balkh province, a Taliban-controlled power plant expelled 200 women for financial reasons, but no male employees faced the same action.
Taliban detained women over dress code violations
According to UNAMA, the Taliban has predominantly detained and arrested women and girls, especially in the Hazara-populated Dasht-e-Barchi area, with some being taken from Khair Khana, a region primarily inhabited by Tajiks.
The organization also said that in December, a Taliban official told a single woman in a health center that she would lose her job if she didn’t get married. UNAMA quotes the Taliban Ministry of Promotion of Virtue and Prevention Vice official as saying that “working for single women is inappropriate.”
Violence against Hazaras community and Shi’as
The United Nations Representation in Kabul announced that in the past three months of 2023, a blast in Baghlan, two explosions in Kabul, and three targeted assassinations in Herat targeted Hazaras and Shi’as communities.
UNAMA reported that in these attacks, at least 49 people were killed, and 88 others were wounded.
The report mentions three mine attacks specifically targeting the Hazara and Shia populations during these three months.
On October 13th, in Pul-e Khumri city, a suicide bomber detonated explosives among Shia worshipers in a mosque, killing 21 people and injuring 30 others.
On October 26th, an explosion from a planted mine inside a sports club in Dasht-e-Barchi, west of Kabul, left eight dead and 35 injured.
On November 7th, another bus bombing targeted the Dasht-e-Barchi area of Kabul, killing 11 and injuring 21.
ISIS Khorasan Province claimed responsibility for all three attacks and stated that the Shia community members were their intended targets.
Furthermore, the United Nations Office in Afghanistan’s report also states that in the past three months of 2023, “a series of targeted killings of Shia religious scholars took place in the Jibrail district of Herat city.”
On October 22nd, a Shia religious scholar was shot and killed. On November 23rd, two Shia religious scholars were gunned down, and on December 1st, six individuals, including two Shia religious scholars, were killed, and two others were injured.
So far, no group has claimed responsibility for the Herat attacks, and the perpetrators remain unidentified.
Since the Taliban assumed control in Afghanistan, ensuring security has posed significant challenges for the group. In response to these challenges, they have imposed various restrictions that have severely curtailed the basic human rights of women and girls, particularly their access to education and employment. However, despite these restrictions, the prospects for women and girls in the country remain uncertain.
The Taliban’s grip on power has created a climate of uncertainty and fear, leaving many women and girls unsure about their rights and freedoms in the Taliban regime.
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