Current:Home > BackTaliban imprisoning women for their own "protection from gender-based-violence," U.N. report says-InfoLens
Taliban imprisoning women for their own "protection from gender-based-violence," U.N. report says
View Date:2024-12-23 11:39:33
Afghanistan's ruling Taliban regime has sent some women to prison to protect them from the threat of gender-based violence, a United Nations report released Thursday said. Taliban authorities told the U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan that women who don't have a male relative to stay with, or whose male relatives are deemed a threat to their safety, have been sent to prison. It was unclear if the orders were based on court referrals.
"Some [Taliban] de facto officials stated that in instances where they had safety concerns for a survivor, she would be sent to the women's prison, for her protection, akin to how prisons have been used to accommodate drug addicts and homeless people in Kabul," the report states.
"The confinement of women in prison facilities, outside the enforcement of criminal law, and for the purpose of ensuring their protection from gender-based-violence, would amount to an arbitrary deprivation of liberty," the U.N. mission said, adding that "confining women who are already in a situation of vulnerability in a punitive environment would also likely have a negative impact on their mental and physical health, revictimization and put them at risk of discrimination and stigmatization upon release."
The report is a snapshot of legal and judicial responses by the Taliban to complaints of gender-based violence against women and girls from August 2021 until March 2023, including murders, honor killings and rapes.
"The report reveals a stark absence of a clear and coherent framework for justice in Afghanistan, significantly hindering the process of reporting and addressing gender-based violence," Sahar Wahedi, a tech startup CEO and women's rights activist, told CBS News. "This ambiguity, particularly with the Taliban's vague reference to 'Sharia law,' places an immense burden on women, making the act of reporting a dangerous risk due to uncertain outcomes and potential blame."
Since taking control of Afghanistan more than two years ago, the Taliban have severely limited the rights of women and girls through draconian policies barring them from schools, universities and many professions.
Girls are not allowed to attend school beyond the sixth grade, and women aren't permitted to travel outside their homes without male chaperones. A crackdown on freedom of expression and the hugely limited employment opportunities for Afghan women since the Taliban's retaking of power in the summer of 2021 have left them increasingly stuck behind closed doors, making them more vulnerable to gender-based violence, according to UNAMA.
In the two decades after the 2001 U.S-led invasion that toppled the previous Taliban regime, safe houses for vulnerable women and children opened in various provinces across the country, operated by non-governmental organizations, but they have been all shut down because the Taliban considers the shelters manifestations of Western society, the report said.
Chief Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told CBS News he was not aware of any incident or report of someone being imprisoned in the country without a crime being committed, and he said he would investigate the U.N. report.
The de-facto Taliban government's Ministry of Foreign Affairs told the U.N. it was dedicated to safeguarding the lives and property of all people.
"The handling of cases is based on Sharia law and there is no injustice committed against women," the ministry told the U.N. "If the severity of the case is high, there will be no mediation and the case is referred to the court."
However, many of the Taliban's directives regarding women and girls in Afghanistan lack a foundation in Sharia Law.
- In:
- Taliban
- Afghanistan
veryGood! (627)
Related
- How to Build Your Target Fall Capsule Wardrobe: Budget-Friendly Must-Haves for Effortless Style
- 'Incredibly rare' dead sea serpent surfaces in California waters; just 1 of 20 since 1901
- Little League World Series: Updates, highlights from Saturday elimination games
- Extreme heat at Colorado airshow sickens about 100 people with 10 hospitalized, officials say
- Klay Thompson returns to Golden State in NBA Cup game. How to watch
- Orange County police uncover secret drug lab with 300,000 fentanyl pills
- Harris and Trump offer worlds-apart contrasts on top issues in presidential race
- Jana Duggar Reveals Move to New State After Wedding to Stephen Wissmann
- US Election Darkens the Door of COP29 as It Opens in Azerbaijan
- Kirsten Dunst Reciting Iconic Bring It On Cheer at Screening Proves She’s Still Captain Material
Ranking
- Skiing legend Lindsey Vonn ends retirement, plans to return to competition
- Save Big at Banana Republic Factory With $12 Tanks, $25 Shorts & $35 Dresses, Plus up to 60% off Sitewide
- Possible work stoppage at Canada’s two largest railroads could disrupt US supply chain next week
- Maurice Williams, writer and lead singer of ‘Stay,’ dead at 86
- Tampa Bay Rays' Wander Franco arrested again in Dominican Republic, according to reports
- Jonathan Bailey Has a NSFW Confession About His Prosthetic Penis for TV
- Benefit Cosmetics Just Dropped Its 2024 Holiday Beauty Advent Calendar, Filled with Bestselling Favorites
- Jerry Rice is letting son Brenden make his own name in NFL with Chargers
Recommendation
-
Melissa Gilbert recalls 'painful' final moment with 'Little House' co-star Michael Landon
-
Lawyers for plaintiffs in NCAA compensation case unload on opposition to deal
-
Possible work stoppage at Canada’s two largest railroads could disrupt US supply chain next week
-
2.9 billion records, including Social Security numbers, stolen in data hack: What to know
-
Missouri prosecutor says he won’t charge Nelly after an August drug arrest
-
Christina Hall and Taylor El Moussa Enjoy a Mother-Daughter Hair Day Amid Josh Hall Divorce
-
Extreme heat at Colorado airshow sickens about 100 people with 10 hospitalized, officials say
-
Premier League highlights: Arsenal and Liverpool win season's opening Saturday