Taliban Ministry Reports Rescuing 11 Women from Domestic Violence
The Taliban’s Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice and Complaints Office has announced that its morality enforcers in the provinces of Khost, Paktika, Logar, Zabul, and Paktia have rescued 11 women from situations of domestic violence. According to the ministry, this action was taken following investigations into complaints and interventions by the morality enforcers.
Saif-ur-Islam Khyber, the spokesperson for the ministry, stated that these women had faced physical and psychological violence for several years at the hands of their family members, allegedly justified by so-called “honor” and undesirable customs. He emphasized that the morality enforcers have worked within the framework of their mission to ensure what they call the religious rights of women.
The ministry also claims that over the past month, more than 100 cases related to women’s rights across the country have been reviewed and resolved, including cases involving inheritance, domestic violence, dowry disputes, forced marriages, and unregistered marriages. However, women’s rights activists continuously stress that the lack of clear laws and extensive restrictions on women’s social lives have contributed to the persistence of such violence.
According to provided information, the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue recorded 8,846 public complaints in the capital and provinces during the first three quarters of this year. Of these, 5,132 complaints were addressed and resolved. The ministry’s spokesperson said 2,761 complaints are still under investigation, and 953 were dismissed for not complying with the law.
The ministry has announced that citizens can submit their complaints via the toll-free number 191 or by visiting the related departments and offices of this ministry in the capital and provinces. Nonetheless, in practice, the accessibility and trust of citizens—especially women—in these mechanisms remain questioned.
