Taliban Confirm Detention of Women and Girls in Kabul and Herat

Bareen Media – The Taliban have confirmed that women and girls have been detained in Kabul and Herat amid continued enforcement of the group’s restrictions on women’s dress and public life.

Local sources in Herat said eight women were detained in the city on Saturday. They were reportedly held overnight and later released after providing guarantees and paying money.

Women and girls in Kabul and Herat have said the fear of arrest has increased their concerns and made daily life more difficult. Similar detentions have previously been reported in both cities.

The issue was also raised during the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly. Iceland’s Foreign Minister Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir said the restrictions on women and girls in Afghanistan represent one of the most extreme examples of the rollback of women’s rights and described the situation as “gender apartheid.”