In a damning report released on Monday, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan exposed the Taliban's ongoing suppression of Afghan women's rights. The report revealed that the militant group has intensified its crackdown, particularly targeting women's access to work, travel, and healthcare if they are unmarried or lack a male guardian.

According to the report, the Taliban's restrictions on Afghan women's public life are reminiscent of their oppressive rule in the past. While there are no official laws regarding male guardianship in Afghanistan, the Taliban has declared that women cannot move or travel without a male relative by blood or marriage.

The report highlighted a distressing incident from last October when three female health workers were detained solely because they were unaccompanied by a male guardian. Their release was contingent upon their families signing a written guarantee that the women would not repeat the act. Meanwhile, since December, the Vice and Virtue Ministry in Paktia province has barred women without male guardians from accessing healthcare facilities.

The Taliban's suppression extends beyond healthcare. Since seizing power in 2021 after the withdrawal of US and NATO forces, the militant group has imposed a series of harsh restrictions on women. They have banned Afghan girls from pursuing education beyond the sixth grade, barred women from local employment and non-governmental organizations, and ordered the closure of beauty salons. Women are also forbidden from going to gyms and parks, effectively confining them to their homes.

In response to the UN report, the Taliban's chief spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, dismissed the findings as based on misunderstandings. Mujahid accused the UN mission of either ignoring or criticizing Islamic law, or Shariah, and reiterated that the Taliban would fully implement all aspects of Shariah for both men and women, considering the country's new Islamic government.

International organizations, human rights groups, and various governments have expressed deep concern over the deteriorating situation for Afghan women under Taliban rule. Calls for action and support to protect and uphold women's rights in Afghanistan have grown louder, as the international community observes the ongoing violations perpetrated against Afghan women in the name of religious tradition.