Taliban publish decree on women's rights in Afghanistan

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Burqa-wearing women in Kabul: Since the Taliban came to power, women in Afghanistan have increasingly veiled themselves again

Photo: Aamir Qureshi / AFP

Three and a half months ago, the Taliban took power in Afghanistan.

Since the advance of the Islamists, women in particular have lived in uncertainty about what rights they will be granted.

Now the Taliban have published a decree on women's rights.

The decree contains hardly any innovations.

In the decree, the Taliban instructed organizations, religious scholars and elders to take serious action to enforce women's rights.

It literally says: "A woman is not property, but a noble and free person." In fact, the Islamists have again significantly restricted the rights of women since they came to power in mid-August.

The decree states that one of the rights is that no one should force an unmarried woman or a widow into marriage.

Nor should women make women available to anyone in exchange for peace or to end hostility.

In Afghanistan it happens again and again that a woman is given as reparation in a family feud, for example.

Widows would also have a right to an inheritance and a bridal gift should they marry again.

The decree also calls on two ministries and the courts to ensure that these rights are made known and implemented.

The positions in the decree are not entirely new and also correspond to the rules of Islam.

The previous Afghan laws also guaranteed these rights.

However, they were often not granted even before the Taliban came to power.

They were often not enforceable in court.

Taliban bans women in films and series

The new decree does not provide any information on women's rights to education or work.

The Islamists have noticeably curtailed women's rights since their return to power.

In many cases they cannot go back to their jobs.

Most girls' secondary schools are closed.

Street protests by activists were violently suppressed.

Many fled the country.

It was only at the end of November that the Taliban imposed far-reaching restrictions on television content.

TV stations are no longer allowed to show films or series in which women played a role or which contradict Islamic Sharia law or Afghan values, according to a directive from the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice.

The broadcasting of domestic or foreign films that spread foreign cultures and traditions in Afghan society and caused immorality must be stopped, according to the instruction.

In addition, no one should be offended in entertainment programs.

Presenters or reporters are also allowed to appear, but they would have to wear the Islamic hijab.

asc / dpa