Attachments
Rights of women and girls
The de facto authorities continue to restrict the rights of women and girls. On 3 May 2023, the de facto Ministry of Public Health announced that only male medical students would be permitted to take the “Exit Supplementary Exam” in order to pursue further specialised medical studies. This is in addition to the earlier bans preventing women from participating in medical school exit examinations (12 February 2023) and from attending university (20 December 2022).
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) recorded instances where the de facto authorities took steps to enforce previously announced limitations on women’s freedom of movement and participation in employment. For example:
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On 1 May, at an airport, two Afghan female staff of an INGO were arrested by de facto police because they were travelling without a mahram.
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On 3 June, de facto General Directorate of Intelligence officials stopped a midwife on her way to work and detained her for five hours, questioning her about her work with an INGO. They reportedly threatened her with death if she continued her work. She resigned two days later.
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On 19 June, de facto Department for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention officials beat a woman with a stick and ordered her to leave a public park.
In May and June, UNAMA recorded instances when the de facto authorities interfered in NGOs led by women, or employing them. One NGO had its assets seized by officials from the de facto Department for the Propagation of Vice and Prevention of Virtue because it was led by women. Two other NGOs had their licenses suspended by the de facto Department of Economy because of the presence of female employees in their offices. Matiullah Wesa, head of NGO PenPath, a civil society organization campaigning for the reopening of girls’ schools, continues to be detained on unknown charges by the de facto General Directorate of Intelligence in Kabul (arrested 27 March 2023).