THE United Nations Human Rights Office has strongly criticised new repressive laws introduced by the Taliban in Afghanistan, saying the new laws, among others, sought to completely erase women’s presence in public.
UN Human Rights Spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani has told a media conference that the UN Human Rights Commissioner Volker Türk has called for new policies that were intolerable, and egregious and to be immediately repealed.
Shamdasani said: “The newly-adopted law on “Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice” by the de facto authorities in Afghanistan cement policies that completely erase women’s presence in public – silencing their voices and depriving them of their individual autonomy, effectively attempting to render them into faceless, voiceless shadows,” she said.
“The long list of repressive provisions that this law imposes on women reinforces a number of existing restrictions that violate their fundamental human rights, including their freedom of movement, their freedom of expression, and their right to live free from discrimination. The law includes the requirement to wear clothes that completely cover their bodies from head to toe, including their faces; a ban for transport providers on transporting women unless they are accompanied by a male relative; and the prohibition on women’s voices being heard in public.”
She said other restrictions in the law, which were vaguely defined, affected other human rights, such as the right to freely practice one’s religion. The law also granted the State agents broad, discretionary powers to detain people, impose punishments on them, or refer matters to courts
Shamdasani explained: “The law further tightens the grip on the media sector, with a ban on publishing images of human beings, presumably also those of de facto officials. We call on the de facto authorities to immediately repeal this legislation, which is in clear violation of Afghanistan’s obligations under international human rights law,” she said.
“Disempowering and rendering invisible and voiceless half the population of Afghanistan will only worsen the human rights and humanitarian crisis in the country. Rather, this is a time to bring together all the people of Afghanistan, irrespective of their gender, religion or ethnicity, to help resolve the many challenges the country faces.
“When I was in Afghanistan, about two years ago, this should come as no surprise, we were sitting around the table with several women representatives, who were sharing with us the issues that their communities face and solutions. These women were full of solutions. They are in contact with people in the community at a very close level. They understand the issues that are facing the most vulnerable. They have solutions. They need to be given a seat at the table to help implement those solutions. These are partners who are being completely silenced and they’re attempting to render them into shadows. Their voices are no longer permissible. Education is no longer permissible. you cannot even see their faces. This needs to stop, and we need to continue talking about it. We need to continue advocating for it and putting pressure on the authorities to listen.”
