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About this update
This update on the human rights situation in Afghanistan, covering the period from January to March 2025,1 is based on monitoring by UNAMA’s Human Rights Service conducted in accordance with its mandate from the UN Security Council.
Rights of women and girls
Education
On 20 March, the new academic year commenced, marking the fourth year since the de facto authorities banned girls from participating in education beyond grade six.3 There has been no announcement made by the de facto authorities regarding the reopening of high schools and universities to girls and women.
Freedom of movement
UNAMA continued to receive reports of de facto Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice inspectors instructing health clinics, shops, markets, government offices and taxi drivers to deny services to women not accompanied by a mahram as well as preventing women from accessing other public spaces. For example:
- From late January, in Ghazni province, de facto Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice inspectors verbally instructed de facto line departments to prevent women unaccompanied by a mahram and/or not wearing the proper hijab from entering de facto government offices or accessing public services.
- On 17 January, in Herat province, Karkh district, Pashdan Dam, de facto - of Virtue and Prevention of Vice inspectors barred women from visiting the area, telling families that only male members were allowed access.
- On 18 January, in Badakhshan province, Khahan district, de facto border police and de facto Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice inspectors prohibited women from entering the Afghan-Tajik cross-border market to avoid the intermingling of women and men.
- In February in Kandahar province, de facto Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice inspectors visited a clinic and ordered the clinic’s guards and leadership to prohibit women personnel and female patients from entering the facility without a mahram.
- On 6 February, in Farah city, taxi terminus, four women were refused transportation by taxi drivers because they were not accompanied by mahrams.
- On 18 February, during the day, in Herat city, de facto Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice inspectors stopped several rickshaws and warned drivers against transporting women unaccompanied by a mahram.
- On 22 February, in Kandahar province, Dand district, de facto Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice inspectors conducted an inspection of the district bazaar and instructed shopkeepers to report women without a mahram and to prevent them from entering their shops.
- On 3 March, de facto Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice personnel conducted an unannounced inspection at a hospital and made several instructions to the hospital’s personnel, including that they ensure that female staff were accompanied by a mahram. They also ordered that female patients without a mahram should not receive health services.
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