UNAMA: Taliban decision to impose hijab on women makes it difficult for the group to interact with the international community

The Office of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) says the Taliban’s decision to make hijab mandatory for women and girls in Afghanistan makes it difficult for the group to interact with the international community.

UNAMA said in a statement that Taliban had issued a statement that all women should cover their faces in public, that women should only leave the house if necessary, and that violating the directive would lead to the punishment of a male member of their family.

UNAMA said the decision runs counter to numerous assurances of respect for and protection of the human rights of all Afghans, including women and girls, provided by Taliban representatives to the international community during their discussions and negotiations over the past decade.

The Ministry of the Taliban yesterday issued a decree emphasizing that any clothing that covers the body is considered a hijab, so that it is not thin and tight, and that it is necessary for adult women to observe the hijab.