Taliban say women's rights are protected despite bans

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

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Since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in 2021, they have banned education for women and girls beyond sixth grade, barred them from most employment, and excluded them from 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 spokesperson, Zabihullah Mujahid, released a statement on his official X (formerly Twitter) account, without specifically mentioning International Women’s Day, which is celebrated on 8 March. He said the dignity, honour and legal rights of women were a priority for the Islamic emirate, the term used by the Taliban to describe their government.