By Hadia Ziaei in ToloNews, Aug 31, 2023 at 8:57 PM
The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) said in its report that since August 2021, the Islamic Emirate has issued of 80 religious edicts and decrees in Afghanistan.
According to the report, over half of the 80 religious edicts and decrees directly enforce severe restrictions on women and girls, hampering their ability to live according to their own religious interpretation, including bans on education, employment, and freedom of movement.
“The Taliban have completely revamped the country’s education sector through more than 20 written and oral decrees since 2021. These decrees include bans on co-education and secondary education for girls, restrictions on areas of study for female students (including barring them from journalism, law, agriculture, and sciences), and a prohibition on female students taking annual university entry exams. Since 2021, the Taliban have also enacted decrees that severely limit women’s freedom of movement, including access to employment, parks, and beauty salons,” the report reads.
Asra, 23, a second-semester economics student at one of Kabul’s public universities who also worked in one of the city’s female beauty salons, said that the restrictions placed in her path to education and employment had a negative effect on her mental health.
“All women need to be active and work, and my request to all those who hear our voice is to allow all Afghan women to work, study and live,” she said.
According to some women’s rights activists, the continued imposition of restrictions will have a negative effect on women and the current government.
“We know that we will not have a better future, not only the women, but also the government of the Islamic Emirate will still not be able to have a better future if the Islamic Emirate does not pay attention to the closed doors of schools, universities, and the right to freedom and the right to work for women. It is a good opportunity. It is up to the government of the Islamic Emirate to pay attention to the rights of all Afghan citizens, especially women,” said Tafsir Seiaposh, a women’s rights activist.
Although the Islamic Emirate did not comment on the report of this commission, it said earlier that the rights of women are provided in accordance with Islamic Sharia.
https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-184898
