Taliban insist Afghan women's rights are protected as UN says their bans cannot be ignored

The Taliban issued a message on International Women's Day, saying Afghan women live in security with their rights protected, even as the U.N. condemned ongoing employment and education bans.

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Since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in 2021, they have barred education for women and girls beyond sixth grade, most employment, and many public spaces. Last August, the Vice and Virtue Ministry published laws that ban women's voices and bare faces outside the home.

The Taliban's chief spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid released a statement on his official X account, without specifically mentioning International Women's Day, which is celebrated on 8 March.

He said the dignity, honor, and legal rights of women were a priority for the Islamic emirate, the term used by the Taliban to describe their government.

Afghan women lived in security, both physically and psychologically, he added.