Rights Groups Report Massive Taliban Abuses Of Women In Afghan City Of Herat

Woman in the western Afghan city of Herat, now under Taliban rule, find themselves trapped indoors, afraid to leave their house without a male family member and without access to education and employment, a joint report by Human Rights Watch and San Jose University's Human Rights Institute said on Thursday

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 23rd September, 2021) Woman in the western Afghan city of Herat, now under Taliban rule, find themselves trapped indoors, afraid to leave their house without a male family member and without access to education and employment, a joint report by Human Rights Watch and San Jose University's Human Rights Institute said on Thursday.

"Since taking over the city on August 12, 2021, the Taliban have instilled fear among women and girls by searching out high-profile women; denying women freedom of movement outside their homes; imposing compulsory dress codes; severely curtailing access to employment and education; and restricting the right to peaceful assembly," the report said.

The two rights groups based the report on lengthy telephone interviews conducted in Dari with seven women in Herat about their experiences since the Taliban takeover. Interviewees included activists, educators and university students, all of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity fearing for their safety, the report said.

Within days of the Taliban takeover of Herat, a group of women asked to meet with local Taliban leaders to discuss their rights, and several days later they were able to meet with a Taliban representative.

However, the official was inflexible: he told the women to stop insisting on their rights and that if they supported the Taliban, they would be rewarded with full amnesty for their past activities and maybe even get positions in the new government, the report added.

Women in Herat were also among the first to organize protests in defense of women's rights after the Taliban gained control. The Taliban did not intervene in the first protest with 60 to 80 women on August 2.

But a subsequent protest on August 7 with drew a violent reaction, with Taliban operatives lashing� protesters and firing weapons indiscriminately, killing at least two and wounding at least eight more. The Taliban subsequently banned protests, according to the report.

Taliban has pledged to respect to respect human rights, especially for women - a promise being watched closely by other nations that are considering sending aid to help Afghanistan cope with severe drought and widespread hunger, according to media reports.