Taliban Imprisoning Afghan Women for "Protection" from Gender-Based Violence: UN Report

A U.N. report reveals that Taliban officials in Afghanistan are sending women to prison under the pretext of protecting them from gender-based violence. Prior to the Taliban's takeover, there were 23 state-sponsored women protection centers in the country, but now there are none. The Taliban considers these shelters as Western concepts and instead sends women to prison if they lack male relatives or if their male relatives are deemed unsafe. Women and girls have faced increasing restrictions since the Taliban's rise to power, including limited access to education, public spaces, and employment. The closure of beauty salons and the exclusion of women from the judiciary and law enforcement further exacerbate the dire situation for women's rights in Afghanistan.