RASC News Agency: A recent study reveals a concerning 35% increase in sexual assaults against women and girls under Taliban rule, with the majority of these assaults being perpetrated by members of the group. The research, conducted by the AWCSWO Human Rights Institute under the title “Justice and Afghanistani Women,” indicates a significant and alarming rise in sexual violence by Taliban members against women and girls in Afghanistan. The study, which spans 25 provinces (including Takhar, Sar-e Pol, Jawzjan, Baghlan, Kunduz, Balkh, Daikundi, Badakhshan, Bamiyan, Parwan, Ghor, Farah, Samangan, Faryab, Nangarhar, Kandahar, Maidan Wardak, Kabul, Urozgan, Kapisa, Nimroz, Herat, Paktia, Helmand, and Ghazni), paints a grim and shocking picture of the increasing prevalence of these crimes.
The study reports that from September 1, 2023, to September 1, 2024, the number of reported sexual assaults by Taliban members rose to 132 cases, compared to 97 cases during the same period in the previous year, marking a 35% increase. This research was conducted through interviews with 1,400 individuals, including victims of assault, their family members, community elders, civil activists, local journalists, and protesting women. Additionally, brief questionnaires were distributed among leaders of protest movements and well-known women’s rights activists, who have emphasized the alarming rise in sexual violence by Taliban members, deeming the statistics as increasingly dire and deeply concerning.
The findings show that the majority of these sexual assaults occurred in rural areas under strict Taliban control regions where access is severely limited and international oversight is practically non-existent. This geographical focus highlights the depth of the crisis and raises serious questions about the international community’s failure to protect the fundamental rights of Afghanistani women and girls.
Data analysis from this study indicates that various factors have contributed to the rise in sexual violence by Taliban fighters against women and girls in Afghanistan, with the most prominent being social taboos and cultural stigmas. According to the research, as the number of sexual assaults continues to rise, Taliban members are increasingly resorting to such acts of violence.
