The United Nations on Monday expressed deep concern over the recent arrest of Afghan women and girls by the Taliban for allegedly violating the group’s strict dress code regulations.
In May 2022, the Taliban authorities issued a decree mandating that women cover their bodies fully, showing only their eyes, and recommended the wearing of the full-body burqa. Since returning to power in 2021, the Taliban have increasingly enforced restrictions on women’s appearance and public behavior through so-called morality laws that prohibit women from revealing their faces outside the home.
According to the UN mission in Afghanistan, “numerous” women and girls were arrested in Kabul between July 16 and 19 for allegedly failing to adhere to hijab rules. “These incidents serve to further isolate women and girls, contribute to a climate of fear, and erode public trust,” the mission said, without disclosing the number of arrests, the ages of those detained, or their current whereabouts.
The mission also called on the Taliban government to “rescind policies and practices” that restrict the human rights and fundamental freedoms of women and girls, particularly the ongoing ban on female education beyond sixth grade.
A Taliban representative was not immediately available for comment.
In January 2024, Afghanistan’s Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice reported that women had been arrested in Kabul for wearing “bad hijab.” Ministry spokesman Abdul Ghafar Farooq did not clarify how many women were detained or what specifically constituted a “bad” hijab.
At the time, the UN said it was investigating allegations of mistreatment and extortion related to the women’s detention and release.
The Taliban regained control of Afghanistan in August 2021 after the withdrawal of U.S. and NATO forces. Since then, the administration has pursued international recognition while enforcing its interpretation of Islamic law. In July, Russia became the only country to grant formal recognition to the Taliban government.
