Backlash Over Taliban’s New Vice and Virtue Laws in Afghanistan
Recently, Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers introduced new ‘vice and virtue’ laws, sparking outrage among human rights groups. These laws include restrictions on women’s voices and faces in public, forcing them to cover up and lower their voices. The Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice now has significant powers to monitor citizens’ conduct in public, with violators facing arrest.
The laws have been condemned for infringing on women’s rights and freedoms, leading to concerns about the long-term impact on Afghan women. The restrictions on women speaking publicly, singing, and pursuing education and employment have raised alarm among human rights organizations.
International efforts are being called for to address these violations, with calls for legal action against the Taliban at the International Criminal Court. It is essential to support Afghan women through educational programs, mental health services, and legal aid to combat the gender apartheid imposed by the Taliban.
The Taliban’s rigid enforcement of these laws, particularly through the morality police, has created a climate of fear in Afghanistan, prompting global calls for action to protect women’s rights and challenge the discriminatory laws.