UN Reports Alarming Surge in Violence Against Women Under Taliban Rule

Research findings from a media source and the United Nations’ annual report reveal shocking crimes, including abductions, sexual assaults, torture, and forced marriages of women by Taliban fighters in Northern and Central provinces.

Terrifying Accounts of Organized Violence Against Women in Provinces

In a comprehensive investigation conducted by a media outlet in Northern and Central provinces, there are reports of harrowing and systematic events involving sexual violence, abduction, forced marriages, and the coerced dancing of women in Taliban military centers. According to this field report, following the collapse of the republic, women have been the most significant victims of extremist policies. In non-Pashtun areas, the situation has escalated beyond just the denial of educational and employment rights, leading to the complete destruction of women’s safety and honor even within their own homes. Local sources have confirmed that some commanders of the group exploit the poverty of families or apply pressure to forcibly claim girls, often of very young ages.

The Case of a Girl Imprisoned at Twelve Over Her Father’s Debt

In a stark example of these atrocities, a video released by a woman named Qurban Gul from the Balamerghab district in Badghis province reveals the tragic fate of her 17-year-old daughter, Sadiqa. This grieving mother disclosed that her daughter was abducted at the age of 12 due to her father’s unpaid debts by a local influencer and Taliban supporter named Khoday Nazar. Taliban courts in Badghis, and subsequently the group’s appeals court in Kandahar, opted instead to force the child into a choice between a compulsory marriage or prison, leading Sadiqa to choose imprisonment, where she has spent five years of her vital teenage years behind bars. Her mother also asserted that the defense attorney for this case, a certain Hameed, was mysteriously assassinated two years ago in the city of Herat.

Reflection of Sexual Crimes in the United Nations Official Report

At the same time as these revelations, the UN Secretary-General’s annual report on sexual violence in conflict has officially corroborated these allegations. The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), in its quarterly report, has documented numerous cases of sexual assault, gang rapes, forced nudity, and the torture of women protestors in detention by Taliban security and intelligence members. The United Nations has warned that due to the complete collapse of an independent judicial system, intimidation of victims, and the absence of support mechanisms, the actual statistics of these heinous crimes in Afghanistan are vastly higher than reported figures, urging the international community to intervene immediately to contain this humanitarian crisis.