Afghanistan Human Rights Crisis 2023

• The human rights situation in Afghanistan significantly worsened in 2023, with the Taliban perpetrating widespread human rights violations.
• Women and girls in Afghanistan face severe restrictions, including being barred from secondary and higher education and most employment with international NGOs and the UN.
• Afghanistan is the only country where women and girls are prohibited from accessing secondary and higher education.
• Restrictions on women also include constraints on freedom of movement and speech.
• Human Rights Watch says the abuses against women and girls in Afghanistan are a crime against humanity, specifically gender persecution.
• The Taliban increased their crackdown on local media and freedom of speech.
• Arbitrary detentions of journalists, human rights defenders, and civil society activists, including women protesters, have risen.
• Taliban forces have been implicated in the detention and execution of former government security force members.
• Since August 2021, there have been at least 800 instances of extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests and detentions and 144 cases of torture and brutal treatment.
• There have been 218 extrajudicial deaths, and 14 enforced disappearances of former government employees and security personnel by Taliban forces since August 2021 per UN reports.
• Over 28 million people in Afghanistan needed humanitarian aid in 2023, nearly two-thirds of the population.
• Approximately 14.7 million people required assistance for basic survival, marking Afghanistan as one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.
• By mid-2023, 4 million Afghans were acutely malnourished, including 3.2 million children under 5.
• The loss of foreign assistance after August 2021, a shortfall in humanitarian assistance in 2023, and a longstanding drought intensified by climate change are major factors in the humanitarian crisis.
• A ban on women working with NGOs, implemented on December 24, 2022, deprives many women of their livelihoods and hinders aid delivery.
• The ban on women working with NGOs exacerbated the humanitarian crisis, making it more difficult to deliver aid to women and girls.
• Afghanistan's criminal code criminalizes same-sex conduct.
• The Taliban have supported the criminalization of same-sex relations.
• Many LGBT individuals are living in hiding due to the threat of punishment.
• While attacks by the Islamic State of Khorasan Province (ISKP) decreased, bombings and improvised explosive devices still caused civilian casualties.

Women’s and Girls’ Rights

• The Taliban have broadly barred women and girls from exercising their fundamental rights.
• These restrictions affect freedom of assembly, movement, work, and education.
• The rules also undermine rights to life, livelihood, and access to health care, food, and water.
• Women are prohibited from working in the public sector or holding senior positions within central or provincial institutions in addition to working in most jobs for the UN and international NGOs.
• Most women who worked for the former government haven't been able to resume their jobs.
• Regulations in most provinces prevent women from traveling or leaving their homes without a male relative.
• In most areas, women are required to wear a full hijab and cover their faces in public.
• Actions by Taliban authorities in 2023 include preventing 63 women from traveling to the UAE for scholarships, closing beauty salons (costing 60,000 jobs), and banning women from visiting Band-e-Amir National Park.
• Taliban security forces have used excessive force against women protesting Taliban policies and have arbitrarily detained female protesters and sometimes their family members.
• Detained women protesters and their family members have been subjected to torture.
• Women’s rights protesters detained in 2023 included Neda Parwani and Zholia Parsi.
• The UN special rapporteur and the Working Group on discrimination against women and girls visited Afghanistan in April and May.
• They reported to the UN Human Rights Council in June, describing the widespread and systematic discrimination against women and girls in Afghanistan and concluding that it “constitutes gender persecution and an institutionalized framework of gender apartheid.”

Extrajudicial Killings, Enforced Disappearances, and Torture

• Taliban forces carried out revenge killings and enforced disappearances of former government officials and security force personnel.
• UNAMA documented 218 extrajudicial killings, 14 enforced disappearances, and over 144 cases of torture and mistreatment of detainees since August 2021.
• UNAMA documented the systematic torture of detainees by the Taliban’s intelligence agency, the General Directorate of Intelligence (GDI), with methods including waterboarding.
• UNAMA reported public floggings of at least 34 men, 8 women, and 2 boys for drug offenses, gambling, and so-called moral crimes since August 2021.

Attacks on Journalists and the Media

• Taliban authorities enforced extensive censorship and used unlawful force against Afghan media and journalists in Kabul and the provinces.
• Hundreds of media outlets have been closed.
• Most female media workers across Afghanistan have lost their jobs.
• Foreign correspondents face severe visa restrictions.
• Many Afghan journalists now live in exile due to safety concerns.
• Taliban arbitrary arrests of media workers increased in 2023.
• Journalists Ataullah Omar, Faqir Mohammad Faqirzai, Jan Agha Saleh, and Hasib Hassas were detained in 2023 then later released.
• Taliban authorities rarely provide information about the basis for arrests or trials.
• Detainees lack access to lawyers, and family members are often not allowed to visit them.
• French Afghan journalist Mortaza Behboudi was arrested on January 5 and released on October 18, with no known charges.

Attacks on Civil Society Activists

• The Taliban continued to crack down on civil society activists.
• University professor Ismail Mashal was arrested for protesting the ban on women’s university education.
• Education activist Matiullah Wesa and several family members were arrested and later released with no charges.
• Security forces used water cannons and fired shots to disperse a peaceful protest by salon owners and employees after beauty salons were closed.
• Four women protesters were reportedly arrested and released later that day.
• The Taliban detained dozens of women’s rights protesters across the country in 2023.

Economic and Humanitarian Crises

• An unprecedented number of Afghans needed humanitarian assistance in 2023.
• Acute malnutrition affected more than 4 million people, including over 840,000 pregnant and nursing women and over 3 million children.
• Six million people were expected to face extreme food insecurity by the end of the year.
• The main reasons people were unable to buy enough food were the loss of millions of jobs after August 2021, the loss of most foreign aid, and a multi-year drought.
• The ban on Afghan women working for international humanitarian NGOs and the UN constrained the operational capacity of humanitarian aid organizations.
• 48 percent of women-headed households have a poor Food Consumption Score (FCS) compared to 39 percent of male-headed households.
• The Taliban’s restrictions on women’s rights have influenced donors’ decisions to cut aid, leading to a funding shortfall.
• The UN requested US$3.26 billion in humanitarian funding for Afghanistan for 2023 but had received less than 25 percent in November.
• Afghan and international NGOs cite this shortfall as the main reason for stopping aid programs.
• By late 2023, several organizations providing health care were either closing clinics and hospitals or withdrawing support due to lack of funding.

Attacks on Civilians

• The ISKP claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kabul on January 12, killing 33 and wounding at least 45.
• A car bomb killed the Taliban’s provincial governor in Badakhshan on June 6.
• A suicide attack during the governor's funeral killed nine civilians and injured 37 on June 8.
• A minibus explosion killed seven and injured 20 members of the Hazara community in the Dasht-e Barchi area of Kabul on November 7.

Key International Actors

• The UN Security Council extended the mandate of UNAMA in March 2023.
• The UN called on the secretary-general to conduct an integrated, independent assessment.
• Feridun Sinirlioğlu was appointed to lead the assessment.
• The UN Human Rights Council renewed and strengthened the mandate of the UN special rapporteur on Afghanistan in October.
• Several countries and the EU issued a joint statement condemning the ban on women attending universities on December 21, 2022.
• The US State Department announced additional travel restrictions on several Taliban officials on February 1.
• In Australia, the Office of the Special Investigator charged a former special forces soldier with a war crime for allegedly executing an Afghan civilian.
• The Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court resumed its investigation into alleged crimes in Afghanistan, focusing on those perpetrated by the Taliban and ISKP.
• The UN issued a statement condemning the Taliban’s ban on Afghan women working with the UN on April 5.
• The EU and many countries issued similar statements of condemnation.

Women in Afghanistan: Education, Culture, and Legal Rights

Education Access

• Education access for women in Afghanistan historically varied due to political regimes, cultural norms, and conflict.
• The Taliban's rule (1996-2001) severely restricted education for women, banning them from schools and universities.
• After 2001, substantial efforts increased female education, raising enrollment rates.
• Disparities remain, especially in rural areas, due to security, attitudes, and resources.
• UNESCO and other international organizations have supported education programs.
• The quality of education for girls and women often lags behind that of boys and men, particularly in terms of resources and teacher training.
• Many families still prefer educating sons over daughters due to economic considerations and traditional gender roles.
• Afghanistan faces a shortage of female teachers, particularly in rural areas.
• The literacy rate for women remains significantly lower than that for men.
• Access to education is closely linked to women's overall empowerment.
• Recent political changes have put women's education in a vulnerable position.
• Continued advocacy and support are essential to ensure that Afghan women can access and benefit from education at all levels.
• Education provides women with knowledge, skills, and confidence to challenge gender norms and contribute to society.
• Many Afghan women have become educators, expanding educational opportunities for women.
• Education initiatives often include components on health, hygiene, and women's rights.

Cultural Impact

• Afghan culture is patriarchal, limiting women's roles primarily to the domestic sphere.
• Cultural norms often dictate women's clothing, behavior, and interactions with men.
• Honor killings and forced marriages are still practiced, reflecting gender-based violence.
• Women's participation in public life is often constrained by cultural and social pressures.
• The media plays a role in shaping cultural perceptions of women, sometimes reinforcing traditional stereotypes.
• Women in Afghanistan have used art, literature, and activism to challenge cultural norms.
• Many Afghan women have become leaders, promoting education, health, and economic development.
• Cultural attitudes towards women vary across different ethnic groups and regions.
• Religious interpretations also influence cultural norms related to women's roles and rights.
• The concept of "purdah" (seclusion) affects women's mobility and access to opportunities.
• Afghan women face a double burden of navigating both traditional cultural expectations and pressures from modernization.
• Cultural change is a gradual process, and progress requires sustained efforts.
• Women's rights organizations work to raise awareness about gender-based violence.
• Many Afghan men are also working to promote gender equality.
• Cultural events and festivals can be used to celebrate women's contributions.

Legal Rights

• The Afghan constitution guarantees equal rights for men and women, but these rights are not always fully implemented or enforced.
• Afghanistan has ratified international treaties on women's rights, such as CEDAW.
• The EVAW Law was enacted in 2009 to criminalize gender-based violence, but its implementation has been uneven.
• Afghan women face challenges in accessing justice due to corruption, lack of legal awareness, and discriminatory practices.
• Customary law and traditional dispute resolution mechanisms often undermine women's legal rights.
• Women's participation in the legal profession is limited.
• Inheritance laws often discriminate against women, denying them equal access to property and land.
• Forced marriage and child marriage are illegal in Afghanistan, but these practices persist.
• Women who experience domestic violence often face barriers to reporting abuse and obtaining protection.
• Legal reforms are needed to strengthen women's property rights, ensure their access to justice, and protect them from violence.
• Advocacy efforts are ongoing to raise awareness about women's legal rights.
• Legal aid organizations provide free legal services to women.
• The Afghan government has established specialized courts and prosecution units to address cases of gender-based violence.
• International organizations provide technical assistance to support legal reforms and strengthen the capacity of the Afghan justice system.
• The enforcement of laws protecting women's rights is critical.