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

A UN 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 to be a Western concept and instead sends women to prison if they have no safe male relatives to stay with. Women and girls in Afghanistan have faced increasing restrictions since the Taliban's rise to power, including limited access to education, public spaces, and employment. Human rights groups have warned that the Taliban's rule would lead to increased violence against women and girls and the erosion of legal protections for them.