Afghan Women Protest Taliban’s Penal Code Article Criminalizing Escape from Domestic Violence
The ‘Afghan Women’s Determination Movement’ in Baghlan province staged a protest performance against Article 34 of the Taliban administration’s penal code; an article that criminalizes a woman’s repeated travels to her father’s house without returning to her husband’s home.
In this performance, the story of a woman was portrayed who fled her home to escape domestic violence but instead of receiving support, was deemed a criminal by the Taliban administration and sentenced to imprisonment. According to the organizers, this narrative reflects the reality of life for many women under current conditions.
The organizers emphasized that Article 34, with its discriminatory perspective, punishes victims of violence instead of supporting them, effectively legitimizing violence against women. They believe this article lacks popular legitimacy and is incompatible with Islamic justice and human principles.
The ‘Afghan Women’s Determination Movement’ called on the international community and the United Nations to move beyond repeated expressions of regret and provide immediate and practical support to Afghan women. They stressed that seeking refuge to save one’s life is not a crime but an effort to survive violence.
This act of protest comes amid widespread criticism and backlash from women’s rights activists and civil society organizations against the new Taliban penal code.
