Latest items for Afghanistan
Feb. 14, 2026, 10:49 a.m.
Countries: Afghanistan
Variables: MURDER-PRACTICE-1
"Since August 2021, UNAMA’s HRS received 87 reports of killing, rape, suicide, forced marriages including child marriage, assault and battery, and honor killings. None of the cases were processed through the formal justice system" (29).
Variables: MURDER-PRACTICE-1
"Since August 2021, UNAMA’s HRS received 87 reports of killing, rape, suicide, forced marriages including child marriage, assault and battery, and honor killings. None of the cases were processed through the formal justice system" (29).
Feb. 12, 2026, 3:52 a.m.
Countries: Afghanistan, Angola, Argentina, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Bolivia, Botswana, Burundi, Cameroon, Costa Rica, D R Congo, East Timor, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Fiji, Finland, Gabon, Gambia, Guinea, Guyana, Hungary, Kuwait, Lebanon, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Morocco, Nepal, Palestine, Papua New Guinea, Romania, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Turkey, Uganda, Vanuatu, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Variables: DV-SCALE-1
4
Variables: DV-SCALE-1
4
Feb. 11, 2026, 8:27 a.m.
Countries: Afghanistan
Variables: LRCM-DATA-1
"Many women are victims of this violence, including those forced into marriage, underage girls given away in marriage, and women who once loved their husbands but became indifferent over time due to forced sexual relations. Humaira [Afghan woman] is one such woman who had a good relationship with her husband at the start of their marriage but lost interest in intimacy after being coerced into sexual intercourse. She says, 'Sometimes a woman doesn’t want to sleep with her husband, but he doesn’t care about your feelings. He forces it upon you. There were times I fought back, tried to stop him, but it was in vain, and he did what...more
Variables: LRCM-DATA-1
"Many women are victims of this violence, including those forced into marriage, underage girls given away in marriage, and women who once loved their husbands but became indifferent over time due to forced sexual relations. Humaira [Afghan woman] is one such woman who had a good relationship with her husband at the start of their marriage but lost interest in intimacy after being coerced into sexual intercourse. She says, 'Sometimes a woman doesn’t want to sleep with her husband, but he doesn’t care about your feelings. He forces it upon you. There were times I fought back, tried to stop him, but it was in vain, and he did what...more
Feb. 11, 2026, 8:27 a.m.
Countries: Afghanistan
Variables: LRCM-PRACTICE-1
"However, in societies like Afghanistan, this behavior is not only unpunished but is often seen as a 'man’s right'" (para 2)."In Afghan society, religious beliefs, customs, and unwritten laws impose further suffering on women. For various reasons—such as preserving family honor and the shame associated with this phenomenon—women cannot speak out about this violence and are unable to escape it. Social and familial norms further pressure women to remain in the role of the 'obedient wife.' Jurisprudential teachings support this situation, considering intimacy with the husband as a woman’s duty. In this system, a woman’s psychological or physical readiness is ignored, and a woman who refuses sexual relations is labeled...more
Variables: LRCM-PRACTICE-1
"However, in societies like Afghanistan, this behavior is not only unpunished but is often seen as a 'man’s right'" (para 2)."In Afghan society, religious beliefs, customs, and unwritten laws impose further suffering on women. For various reasons—such as preserving family honor and the shame associated with this phenomenon—women cannot speak out about this violence and are unable to escape it. Social and familial norms further pressure women to remain in the role of the 'obedient wife.' Jurisprudential teachings support this situation, considering intimacy with the husband as a woman’s duty. In this system, a woman’s psychological or physical readiness is ignored, and a woman who refuses sexual relations is labeled...more
Feb. 1, 2026, 8:28 p.m.
Countries: Afghanistan, Ethiopia, India, Somalia
Variables: LRW-PRACTICE-3, LRW-LAW-4
"Though ‘marry-your-rapist’ laws now only exist in a tenth of the countries in the world, the absence of such a law doesn’t always translate to the end of such practices. There is a gulf between de jure provisions and de facto practices. In countries like India, Ethiopia, Afghanistan, and Somaliland, where no such laws exist, the practice still continues" (para 10).
Variables: LRW-PRACTICE-3, LRW-LAW-4
"Though ‘marry-your-rapist’ laws now only exist in a tenth of the countries in the world, the absence of such a law doesn’t always translate to the end of such practices. There is a gulf between de jure provisions and de facto practices. In countries like India, Ethiopia, Afghanistan, and Somaliland, where no such laws exist, the practice still continues" (para 10).
Jan. 29, 2026, 9:44 p.m.
Countries: Afghanistan, Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Cote D'Ivoire, Jordan, Kenya, Lebanon, Lesotho, Mali, Senegal, Solomon Islands, Sudan, Swaziland, Zambia
Variables: LO-SCALE-3
4
Variables: LO-SCALE-3
4
Jan. 29, 2026, 9:43 p.m.
Countries: Afghanistan, Angola, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Botswana, Brunei, Burundi, Comoros, Cote D'Ivoire, Indonesia, Iraq, Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, Lebanon, Lesotho, Libya, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Oman, Senegal, Solomon Islands, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Zambia
Variables: LO-SCALE-2
2
Variables: LO-SCALE-2
2
Jan. 29, 2026, 9:38 p.m.
Countries: Afghanistan, Angola, Azerbaijan, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Rep, Chad, Chile, Cote D'Ivoire, D R Congo, Egypt, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, India, Jordan, Kenya, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mexico, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, South Africa, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Swaziland, Syria, Tajikistan, Tunisia, Uganda, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Variables: LO-SCALE-1
2
Variables: LO-SCALE-1
2
Jan. 27, 2026, 3:11 p.m.
Countries: Afghanistan
Variables: SUICIDE-SCALE-1
“... Some reports suggest an increase in suicide among Afghan women and girls. In a March 2023 survey, 48% of respondents indicated knowing at least one woman or girl who had suffered from anxiety or depression since August 2021, and, alarmingly, 8% of respondents indicated knowing a woman or girl who had attempted suicide.” (pg. 36, para 3)
Variables: SUICIDE-SCALE-1
“... Some reports suggest an increase in suicide among Afghan women and girls. In a March 2023 survey, 48% of respondents indicated knowing at least one woman or girl who had suffered from anxiety or depression since August 2021, and, alarmingly, 8% of respondents indicated knowing a woman or girl who had attempted suicide.” (pg. 36, para 3)
Jan. 27, 2026, 3:05 p.m.
Countries: Afghanistan
Variables: SUICIDE-SCALE-1
“As Afghan women see their hard-won freedoms to study, work and even to leave their homes wrenched away by the Taliban, growing numbers are choosing to take their own lives out of desperation and hopelessness…” (para 5)
Variables: SUICIDE-SCALE-1
“As Afghan women see their hard-won freedoms to study, work and even to leave their homes wrenched away by the Taliban, growing numbers are choosing to take their own lives out of desperation and hopelessness…” (para 5)
Jan. 27, 2026, 2:59 p.m.
Countries: Afghanistan
Variables: SUICIDE-SCALE-1
“... in Afghanistan around 80% of the total suicide attempts (n =3000) are done by women. The same fact is supported by an official strategy report by the government of Afghanistan (GoA) which shows that the majority of the victims of self-immolation were females (95%) between the ages of 14–19. The most important factors for this disparity are the gender-based violence (GBV) against women, forced marriages, lack of awareness of women's rights, the impact of the war, the custom practices such as marriage portion (Tuyana) or (bride price), and family violence.” (para 1)
Variables: SUICIDE-SCALE-1
“... in Afghanistan around 80% of the total suicide attempts (n =3000) are done by women. The same fact is supported by an official strategy report by the government of Afghanistan (GoA) which shows that the majority of the victims of self-immolation were females (95%) between the ages of 14–19. The most important factors for this disparity are the gender-based violence (GBV) against women, forced marriages, lack of awareness of women's rights, the impact of the war, the custom practices such as marriage portion (Tuyana) or (bride price), and family violence.” (para 1)
Jan. 26, 2026, 7:53 p.m.
Countries: Afghanistan
Variables: GEW-DATA-1
"In 2023, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) verified incidents of sexual violence perpetrated against six women, including rape and attempted rape, all implicating Taliban de facto officials. As part of the monitoring of grave violations against children, the United Nations verified rape and other forms of sexual violence perpetrated against six girls and six boys by de facto authorities and unidentified perpetrators" (9).
Variables: GEW-DATA-1
"In 2023, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) verified incidents of sexual violence perpetrated against six women, including rape and attempted rape, all implicating Taliban de facto officials. As part of the monitoring of grave violations against children, the United Nations verified rape and other forms of sexual violence perpetrated against six girls and six boys by de facto authorities and unidentified perpetrators" (9).
Jan. 26, 2026, 7:50 p.m.
Countries: Afghanistan
Variables: GEW-DATA-1
Specific data on the prevalence of conflict-related sexual violence and kidnapping in Afghanistan is scarce. Rape is seen by the Taliban as a useful tactic to systematically oppress women, and is frequently used against female detainees. Kidnapping is also commonplace, especially the abduction of those women who are violating the strict regulations that exist regarding dress and religious adherence. Rebel groups, primarily Islamic State - Khorasan Province (ISIS-K) have undertaken attacks against facilities including maternity wards and hospitals. Overall, under the Taliban regime women are systematically oppressed, assaulted, and disappeared, both to punish moral crimes and to reinforce the ruling party's iron grip (NAC - CODER COMMENT).
Variables: GEW-DATA-1
Specific data on the prevalence of conflict-related sexual violence and kidnapping in Afghanistan is scarce. Rape is seen by the Taliban as a useful tactic to systematically oppress women, and is frequently used against female detainees. Kidnapping is also commonplace, especially the abduction of those women who are violating the strict regulations that exist regarding dress and religious adherence. Rebel groups, primarily Islamic State - Khorasan Province (ISIS-K) have undertaken attacks against facilities including maternity wards and hospitals. Overall, under the Taliban regime women are systematically oppressed, assaulted, and disappeared, both to punish moral crimes and to reinforce the ruling party's iron grip (NAC - CODER COMMENT).
Jan. 26, 2026, 7:40 p.m.
Countries: Afghanistan
Variables: GEW-DATA-1
"In August the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan reported cases of women detainees being sexually abused and assaulted by the Taliban. Similarly, Afghan Witness and the media reported that the Taliban initiated a campaign in January to arrest women and girls for non-compliance with mandatory hijab rules. This resulted in the arrest and detention of dozens of women and girls during the year, 'with many reporting degrading treatments, torture, and even rape'" (3).
Variables: GEW-DATA-1
"In August the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan reported cases of women detainees being sexually abused and assaulted by the Taliban. Similarly, Afghan Witness and the media reported that the Taliban initiated a campaign in January to arrest women and girls for non-compliance with mandatory hijab rules. This resulted in the arrest and detention of dozens of women and girls during the year, 'with many reporting degrading treatments, torture, and even rape'" (3).
Jan. 26, 2026, 7:19 p.m.
Countries: Afghanistan
Variables: GEW-LAW-1
"For a second consecutive year, the Taliban did not report whether they viewed any laws enacted under the pre-August 15, 2021 government related to trafficking as remaining in effect, and did not report any laws criminalizing sex trafficking or labor trafficking. According to observers, the Taliban has purported to revoke Afghanistan’s constitution and criminal code, including all laws on the protection of children, and judicial processes are based on interpretations of religious jurisprudence" (2). There are no laws in Afghanistan banning the trafficking of women as a weapon of war. In fact, there are no laws in Afghanistan criminalizing sex/labor trafficking in any circumstance. (NAC - CODER COMMENT)more
Variables: GEW-LAW-1
"For a second consecutive year, the Taliban did not report whether they viewed any laws enacted under the pre-August 15, 2021 government related to trafficking as remaining in effect, and did not report any laws criminalizing sex trafficking or labor trafficking. According to observers, the Taliban has purported to revoke Afghanistan’s constitution and criminal code, including all laws on the protection of children, and judicial processes are based on interpretations of religious jurisprudence" (2). There are no laws in Afghanistan banning the trafficking of women as a weapon of war. In fact, there are no laws in Afghanistan criminalizing sex/labor trafficking in any circumstance. (NAC - CODER COMMENT)more
Jan. 26, 2026, 7:09 p.m.
Countries: Afghanistan
Variables: GEW-PRACTICE-1
"The Taliban, who enforces a harsh interpretation of Sharia, impose draconian restrictions on women and girls. Their rule is marked by arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances, widespread gender-based violence, unlawful killings, obstruction of humanitarian aid, and public executions...Hazara women and girls exist at a triple axis of persecution of their ethnic identity, religious affiliation, and gender" (2). The Hazara are a religious minority in Afghanistan subject to targeted attacks by the Taliban. While this article does not directly describe their kidnapping and/or rape by Taliban forces, it can reasonably be assumed that these actions (which are being undertaken against non-minority Afghan women) are also being used against the Hazara, perhaps at...more
Variables: GEW-PRACTICE-1
"The Taliban, who enforces a harsh interpretation of Sharia, impose draconian restrictions on women and girls. Their rule is marked by arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances, widespread gender-based violence, unlawful killings, obstruction of humanitarian aid, and public executions...Hazara women and girls exist at a triple axis of persecution of their ethnic identity, religious affiliation, and gender" (2). The Hazara are a religious minority in Afghanistan subject to targeted attacks by the Taliban. While this article does not directly describe their kidnapping and/or rape by Taliban forces, it can reasonably be assumed that these actions (which are being undertaken against non-minority Afghan women) are also being used against the Hazara, perhaps at...more
Jan. 26, 2026, 6:57 p.m.
Countries: Afghanistan
Variables: GEW-PRACTICE-1
"Men styling themselves God’s soldiers are using sexual violence on captive women to inflict punishment not just on individuals but to intimidate all Afghan women from any role in society...At least 10 women in separate interviews told Afghanistan International they were subjected to sexual assault or harassment by members of the Taliban during detention...[One detainee] remembers being taken to another room multiple times, where she was whipped on her back, thighs, and legs and gang-raped" (2,3,5).
Variables: GEW-PRACTICE-1
"Men styling themselves God’s soldiers are using sexual violence on captive women to inflict punishment not just on individuals but to intimidate all Afghan women from any role in society...At least 10 women in separate interviews told Afghanistan International they were subjected to sexual assault or harassment by members of the Taliban during detention...[One detainee] remembers being taken to another room multiple times, where she was whipped on her back, thighs, and legs and gang-raped" (2,3,5).
Jan. 26, 2026, 6:31 p.m.
Countries: Afghanistan
Variables: EWCMS-DATA-3
"Data [on rates of sexual assault/violence and persecution rates] remained difficult to obtain owing to structural gender inequality and the fear of reprisals, exacerbated by the dismantling in previous years of protection and prevention mechanisms, including special courts for the prosecution of violence against women and shelters" (9). While this quote refers broadly to sexual assault data in Afghanistan, it applies also to the specific difficulties surrounding the collection of data regarding military sexual assault persecutions (and any data regarding military sexual assault or assault persecutions in general) in the country (NAC - CODER COMMENT).
Variables: EWCMS-DATA-3
"Data [on rates of sexual assault/violence and persecution rates] remained difficult to obtain owing to structural gender inequality and the fear of reprisals, exacerbated by the dismantling in previous years of protection and prevention mechanisms, including special courts for the prosecution of violence against women and shelters" (9). While this quote refers broadly to sexual assault data in Afghanistan, it applies also to the specific difficulties surrounding the collection of data regarding military sexual assault persecutions (and any data regarding military sexual assault or assault persecutions in general) in the country (NAC - CODER COMMENT).
Jan. 26, 2026, 6:29 p.m.
Countries: Afghanistan
Variables: EWCMS-DATA-2
"Data [on rates of sexual assault/violence] remained difficult to obtain owing to structural gender inequality and the fear of reprisals, exacerbated by the dismantling in previous years of protection and prevention mechanisms, including special courts for the prosecution of violence against women and shelters" (9). While this quote refers broadly to sexual assault data in Afghanistan, it applies also to the specific difficulties surrounding the collection of data regarding military sexual assault in the country (NAC - CODER COMMENT).
Variables: EWCMS-DATA-2
"Data [on rates of sexual assault/violence] remained difficult to obtain owing to structural gender inequality and the fear of reprisals, exacerbated by the dismantling in previous years of protection and prevention mechanisms, including special courts for the prosecution of violence against women and shelters" (9). While this quote refers broadly to sexual assault data in Afghanistan, it applies also to the specific difficulties surrounding the collection of data regarding military sexual assault in the country (NAC - CODER COMMENT).
Jan. 26, 2026, 6:21 p.m.
Countries: Afghanistan
Variables: EWCMS-DATA-3
Data on the persecution of military sexual assault in Afghanistan is scarce to nonexistent. After the Taliban returned to power in 2021, women were removed from the Afghan military, police, and security services. Approximately 4,000 women served in the Afghan military before the Taliban's return. Women who formerly served in the military have been targeted by the Taliban, pushing them into poverty and hiding. For more information regarding the treatment of former female Afghan soldiers, reference "Hungry, hunted, terrified: unending plight of the Afghan women who served in military and police" (Authored by Zahra Joya, published in The Guardian on 14 August 2023). (NAC - CODER COMMENT).
Variables: EWCMS-DATA-3
Data on the persecution of military sexual assault in Afghanistan is scarce to nonexistent. After the Taliban returned to power in 2021, women were removed from the Afghan military, police, and security services. Approximately 4,000 women served in the Afghan military before the Taliban's return. Women who formerly served in the military have been targeted by the Taliban, pushing them into poverty and hiding. For more information regarding the treatment of former female Afghan soldiers, reference "Hungry, hunted, terrified: unending plight of the Afghan women who served in military and police" (Authored by Zahra Joya, published in The Guardian on 14 August 2023). (NAC - CODER COMMENT).
Jan. 26, 2026, 6:13 p.m.
Countries: Afghanistan
Variables: EWCMS-DATA-2
Data on the incidence of military sexual assault in Afghanistan is scarce to nonexistent. After the Taliban returned to power in 2021, women were removed from the Afghan military, police, and security services. Approximately 4,000 women served in the Afghan military before the Taliban's return. Women who formerly served in the military have been targeted by the Taliban due to fear of arrest. For more information regarding the treatment of former female Afghan soldiers, reference "Hungry, hunted, terrified: unending plight of the Afghan women who served in military and police" (Authored by Zahra Joya, published in The Guardian on 14 August 2023).
Variables: EWCMS-DATA-2
Data on the incidence of military sexual assault in Afghanistan is scarce to nonexistent. After the Taliban returned to power in 2021, women were removed from the Afghan military, police, and security services. Approximately 4,000 women served in the Afghan military before the Taliban's return. Women who formerly served in the military have been targeted by the Taliban due to fear of arrest. For more information regarding the treatment of former female Afghan soldiers, reference "Hungry, hunted, terrified: unending plight of the Afghan women who served in military and police" (Authored by Zahra Joya, published in The Guardian on 14 August 2023).
Jan. 20, 2026, 3:09 p.m.
Countries: Afghanistan
Variables: EWCMS-LAW-5
"UN human rights experts* voiced profound concern today over the Taliban's recent enactment of the "Law on the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice"...Empowered by the new law, the Taliban's morality inspectors have extensive authority to arbitrarily detain and punish individuals, including physically, for so-called moral crimes, based on suspicion, without any requirement for evidence or due process, with ordinary citizens encouraged to report transgressions. Not only does the law authorize inspectors to enter people’s homes, a major interference with the right to privacy, it will exacerbate an already pervasive climate of fear and surveillance across Afghan society" (1). This law also applies to those seeking to report rape/assault...more
Variables: EWCMS-LAW-5
"UN human rights experts* voiced profound concern today over the Taliban's recent enactment of the "Law on the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice"...Empowered by the new law, the Taliban's morality inspectors have extensive authority to arbitrarily detain and punish individuals, including physically, for so-called moral crimes, based on suspicion, without any requirement for evidence or due process, with ordinary citizens encouraged to report transgressions. Not only does the law authorize inspectors to enter people’s homes, a major interference with the right to privacy, it will exacerbate an already pervasive climate of fear and surveillance across Afghan society" (1). This law also applies to those seeking to report rape/assault...more
Jan. 20, 2026, 2:03 p.m.
Countries: Afghanistan
Variables: EWCMS-PRACTICE-3
“The Taliban acknowledged using hudud punishments (corporal punishments for perceived moral crimes), including for engaging in a sexual relationship outside marriage, which discourages sex trafficking victims from reporting exploitation as they are vulnerable to penalization solely for acts committed as a direct result of being trafficked. Observers noted the Taliban inappropriately penalized victims in cases of sex trafficking” (4). While this quote, which comes from the State Department's 2025 Trafficking in Persons Report for Afghanistan, focuses on the methods by which victims of trafficking are discouraged from reporting, the same incentives against reporting apply to those in the Afghan military who have been raped/assaulted by their superior or another soldier...more
Variables: EWCMS-PRACTICE-3
“The Taliban acknowledged using hudud punishments (corporal punishments for perceived moral crimes), including for engaging in a sexual relationship outside marriage, which discourages sex trafficking victims from reporting exploitation as they are vulnerable to penalization solely for acts committed as a direct result of being trafficked. Observers noted the Taliban inappropriately penalized victims in cases of sex trafficking” (4). While this quote, which comes from the State Department's 2025 Trafficking in Persons Report for Afghanistan, focuses on the methods by which victims of trafficking are discouraged from reporting, the same incentives against reporting apply to those in the Afghan military who have been raped/assaulted by their superior or another soldier...more
Jan. 20, 2026, 1:13 a.m.
Countries: Afghanistan, China, Congo, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Gabon, Haiti, Honduras, Madagascar, Nicaragua, North Korea, Palestine, Philippines, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Suriname
Variables: ABO-SCALE-1
4
Variables: ABO-SCALE-1
4
Jan. 19, 2026, 2:56 p.m.
Countries: Afghanistan
Variables: EWCMS-PRACTICE-3
"The law criminalizes forced gynecological exams, which acted as “virginity tests,” except when conducted pursuant to a court order or with the consent of the subject. Awareness and enforcement of the restrictions on forced gynecological exams remained limited. There were reports police, prosecutors, and judges continued to order the exams in cases of “moral crimes” such as zina. Pre-August 15 government doctors, frequently men, conducted these exams, often without consent. Women who sought assistance in cases of rape were often subjected to the exams" (29). The practice of virginity tests is a thinly-veiled technique to discourage women from reporting instances of rape and sexual assault. Though this quote does not...more
Variables: EWCMS-PRACTICE-3
"The law criminalizes forced gynecological exams, which acted as “virginity tests,” except when conducted pursuant to a court order or with the consent of the subject. Awareness and enforcement of the restrictions on forced gynecological exams remained limited. There were reports police, prosecutors, and judges continued to order the exams in cases of “moral crimes” such as zina. Pre-August 15 government doctors, frequently men, conducted these exams, often without consent. Women who sought assistance in cases of rape were often subjected to the exams" (29). The practice of virginity tests is a thinly-veiled technique to discourage women from reporting instances of rape and sexual assault. Though this quote does not...more
Jan. 19, 2026, 2:51 p.m.
Countries: Afghanistan
Variables: EWCMS-PRACTICE-3
“Widespread disregard for the rule of law and official impunity for those responsible for human rights abuses were common. The pre-August 15 government did not consistently or effectively investigate or prosecute abuses by officials, including security forces" (3). The term "pre-August 15 government" refers to the government of Afghanistan which held power prior to the Taliban takeover in August 2021. The existence of a widespread lack of prosecution of abuses by officials can be assumed to have extended to military officials, creating an incentive to commit abuses including rape and assault due to a lack of prosecution (NAC - CODER COMMENT).
Variables: EWCMS-PRACTICE-3
“Widespread disregard for the rule of law and official impunity for those responsible for human rights abuses were common. The pre-August 15 government did not consistently or effectively investigate or prosecute abuses by officials, including security forces" (3). The term "pre-August 15 government" refers to the government of Afghanistan which held power prior to the Taliban takeover in August 2021. The existence of a widespread lack of prosecution of abuses by officials can be assumed to have extended to military officials, creating an incentive to commit abuses including rape and assault due to a lack of prosecution (NAC - CODER COMMENT).
Jan. 18, 2026, 7:37 p.m.
Countries: Afghanistan
Variables: LRW-LAW-1
"Richard Bennett said in a report to the U.N. General Assembly circulated Wednesday that after seizing power in 2021 the Taliban suspended the 2004 constitution and laws protecting the rights of women and girls. These include a landmark law that criminalized 22 forms of violence against women, including rape and child and forced marriage" (para 2).
Variables: LRW-LAW-1
"Richard Bennett said in a report to the U.N. General Assembly circulated Wednesday that after seizing power in 2021 the Taliban suspended the 2004 constitution and laws protecting the rights of women and girls. These include a landmark law that criminalized 22 forms of violence against women, including rape and child and forced marriage" (para 2).
Jan. 18, 2026, 6:13 p.m.
Countries: Afghanistan
Variables: LRW-LAW-1
"Under the previous Afghan government (pre-2021), the 2009 Elimination of Violence Against Women (EVAW) Law criminalized forced marriage, rape, and other forms of gender-based violence. The law recognized lack of consent as a core element of sexual violence. However, enforcement was weak due to cultural taboos and judicial bias against women. Post-2021, the Taliban do not recognize women’s individual consent in legal, marital, and sexual contexts. Instead, male guardianship dictates women’s decisions, effectively erasing consent as a legal concept" (para 8-9).
Variables: LRW-LAW-1
"Under the previous Afghan government (pre-2021), the 2009 Elimination of Violence Against Women (EVAW) Law criminalized forced marriage, rape, and other forms of gender-based violence. The law recognized lack of consent as a core element of sexual violence. However, enforcement was weak due to cultural taboos and judicial bias against women. Post-2021, the Taliban do not recognize women’s individual consent in legal, marital, and sexual contexts. Instead, male guardianship dictates women’s decisions, effectively erasing consent as a legal concept" (para 8-9).
Jan. 18, 2026, 5:57 p.m.
Countries: Afghanistan
Variables: LRW-PRACTICE-2
“Since they seized power in August 2021, the Taliban have violated women’s and girls’ rights and decimated the system of protection and support for those fleeing violence; such the Ministry of Women Affairs (MoWA), Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) and the Law on the Elimination of Violence Against Women (EVAW) as also the specialized prosecution units and courts dealt with cases involving violence against women and girls" (para 3).
Variables: LRW-PRACTICE-2
“Since they seized power in August 2021, the Taliban have violated women’s and girls’ rights and decimated the system of protection and support for those fleeing violence; such the Ministry of Women Affairs (MoWA), Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) and the Law on the Elimination of Violence Against Women (EVAW) as also the specialized prosecution units and courts dealt with cases involving violence against women and girls" (para 3).
Jan. 18, 2026, 1:58 p.m.
Countries: Afghanistan
Variables: LRW-DATA-1
"Rates of intimate partner physical and/or sexual violence are extremely high in Afghanistan. In 2018, an estimated 50.8 per cent of Afghan women between the ages of 15 and 49 had experienced such violence at least once in their lifetime. In some provinces, this figure was as high as 92 per cent. The global average is 26 per cent, which puts Afghanistan in the top 19 States worldwide in terms of the prevalence of GBV among women" (28).
Variables: LRW-DATA-1
"Rates of intimate partner physical and/or sexual violence are extremely high in Afghanistan. In 2018, an estimated 50.8 per cent of Afghan women between the ages of 15 and 49 had experienced such violence at least once in their lifetime. In some provinces, this figure was as high as 92 per cent. The global average is 26 per cent, which puts Afghanistan in the top 19 States worldwide in terms of the prevalence of GBV among women" (28).