The Taliban have banned contraceptives in Afghanistan, as reported by major media outlets. Healthcare workers in many regions, particularly rural north Afghanistan, are banned from distributing contraceptives under threat of draconian punishment, though the specific punishments remain unclear. According to Daily Mail - Home, a Taliban official described the ban by saying contraceptives are prohibited items.
Additionally, the Taliban have banned women from schools, offices, public baths, parks, gyms, walking outside without a male escort and without being fully veiled, further restricting their daily lives. The Taliban have published a new penal code that effectively puts women on a par with slaves, with clauses stating that slave masters or husbands can physically punish their wives and children as long as it doesn't cause broken bones or open wounds. This code is part of a broader repression that is intensifying, as noted in multiple reports.
Stop! These items are banned.
The Taliban have also imposed a new criminal procedures directive that entrenches religious discrimination, legitimises violence against women and children, and further suppresses freedom of expression. In a statement to the UN Human Rights Council, the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office expressed dismay at this directive, saying it entrenches discrimination and legitimizes violence. Additional restrictions on women's daily life and expression include a ban on women from singing, even in private, highlighting the extent of the crackdown.
The impact of these policies is compounded by healthcare challenges: contraceptive supplies like birth-control pills and condoms have been arriving late, in smaller quantities, and then not at all for more than two years, according to major media sources. The Afghanistan-Pakistan border closure is severely impacting the delivery of essential health and nutrition supplies, causing delays that seriously affect the lives of the most vulnerable, as emphasized by the UK government. The UK statement added that it is increasingly concerned about the severe impact of the border closure on delivering essential supplies.
Afghan women must stand firm in the face of a 'Western conspiracy' to control the Muslim population.
Meanwhile, the Taliban banned opium poppy cultivation in 2022 when they took over Afghanistan, resulting in a 95% reduction in opium production in the country. The UN warned years ago that the Taliban's ban on opium cultivation could lead to more deaths, though the exact impact on Afghanistan's economy and drug-related deaths is not fully known. Context and unknowns persist regarding the punishments for healthcare workers, the number of women affected by the contraceptive ban and new penal code, the current status of the Afghanistan-Pakistan border closure and its resolution, and what international actions are being taken to address human rights and aid delivery issues.
According to Daily Mail - Home, a Taliban official described the situation by saying Afghan women must stand firm against what they call a Western conspiracy, reflecting the regime's justification for its policies.
Thank you, Mr Vice-President. Special Rapporteur. We welcome your continued commitment to highlighting the appalling human rights situation in Afghanistan. The UK fully supports your mandate. Taliban repression is intensifying. We are dismayed by the new criminal procedures directive which entrenches religious discrimination, legitimises violence against women and children, and further suppresses freedom of expression. These rules, alongside numerous other oppressive measures imposed by the Taliban such as the ban on female medical education, must be rescinded if the rights of all Afghans are to be protected. We are also increasingly concerned about the severe impact of the Afghanistan-Pakistan border closure on the delivery of essential health and nutrition supplies. Delays in delivering these life-saving commodities are seriously affecting the lives of the most vulnerable. It is vital these goods are allowed to enter Afghanistan without obstruction. Special Rapporteur, what more can the international community do to prevent potentially catastrophic breaks in the delivery of essential aid, and to promote every Afghan woman’s right to health? Thank you.