The Taliban, in addition to imposing extensive restrictions on women in Afghanistan, have also deprived them of the right to divorce. Several women who have approached the group’s courts seeking divorce due to domestic violence or dissatisfaction with their husbands report that not only were their requests rejected, but they were also labeled as “immoral,” “disobedient,” or even “prostitutes.” According to these women, Taliban members told them that men have the right to beat their wives and warned them not to bring such matters to the group’s courts.
Fariba (pseudonym) says that her husband abuses her, constantly insults her, and tortures both her and their child. She explains that the Taliban court also prevented her from obtaining a divorce and told her not to return with such requests again.
She says, “He always told me to go and get my inheritance share from my brothers. I finally did that and received 500,000 Afghanis, which I gave him. He bought a car, then sold it and spent the money on luxury and on the garden. Now he sits idle at home, beats me and my children, and behaves aggressively. One day, I told him to get a job and help pay the rent and our children’s expenses. He hit me on the nose with a brake lever, breaking and twisting it. I couldn’t get out of bed for several days.”
Fariba adds that after this incident, she went to the Taliban court to request a divorce, explaining that she could no longer continue her married life under such conditions. The Taliban told her not to “talk back” and that she must endure any kind of abuse from her husband.
She recounts: “The Taliban tried to scare me and said that if I didn’t talk back, my husband wouldn’t say anything to me. They said I should tolerate it because he is my husband and might hit me otherwise. They warned me that if I came back and reopened the case or filed for divorce again, they would beat me severely. They also warned me not to be seen at their court again. I work now and provide for myself and my children.”
Fariba continues: “After the Taliban rejected my request, I told my husband to divorce me. I said, ‘I don’t want to live with you anymore; there’s no point in continuing this miserable life, it only brings more sorrow and hatred.’ He told me to pay him the one million Afghanis listed in the marriage contract as my dowry if I wanted him to divorce me.”
Forouhar (pseudonym), another woman, says that after approaching the Taliban court, not only was she denied a divorce, but she was also told that she herself was the problem and should not make such requests. She describes the Taliban as a misogynistic regime that never listens to women, even when they are right.
She says, “Unfortunately, my husband has been beating and torturing me for a long time. I can’t bear the suffering anymore. I went to court to get a divorce decree, but not only did they refuse, they treated me very badly and said it was my fault. I went there several times but got no results, except they told me to sit with the community elders, who would settle the matter informally and write a handwritten divorce note signed by two witnesses. The Taliban provides no legal support in such cases.”
Moreover, some women who decide to divorce face rejection not only from the Taliban but also from their own families, who tell them they should not take such steps. A source said that the father of one such woman told her not to proceed with the divorce for the “honor and dignity” of the family. The source adds: “When the woman insisted on her decision, they told her to accept her situation even if it cost her life. She attempted suicide several times and eventually managed to obtain a divorce only through the intervention of local elders.”
The source continues: “Shabnam was engaged several years ago against her will because her father said it would mean ‘one less mouth to feed.’ After her engagement, she suffered abuse, but her family didn’t believe her and thought she was making excuses. Her father opposed separation, saying it would disgrace the family. Shabnam became severely depressed to the point where she found relief in harming herself. Her arms bore scars from cutting herself with a blade. She attempted suicide twice but was saved both times by her sister. Eventually, with the mediation of her uncle and local elders, she obtained a divorce.”
Recently, Richard Bennett, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, reported that the Taliban’s courts show no willingness to handle divorce cases or gender-based violence complaints. He stated that in domestic violence cases, they often express patriarchal views. According to his report, women who complain about abusive husbands risk being falsely accused of “adultery” and imprisoned. The report highlights that it has become extremely difficult for women to obtain divorces and that the Taliban have annulled thousands of divorces issued during the previous government.
The report further notes that women who interact with the Taliban court system face a hostile environment. Courts often reject women’s complaints, particularly in cases of divorce, child custody, and gender-based violence, or refer them to mediation instead. It also states that women face difficulties obtaining identity documents, marriage certificates, and property papers, which restricts their ability to prove claims or ownership. When they appear in court, they are subjected to intimidation, humiliation, and patriarchal attitudes. Judges often consider men’s behavior toward their wives as a “natural right” and force women into submission.
Bennett stated that Afghanistan is experiencing a deep human rights crisis and that women and girls have been systematically deprived of their rights to freedom of movement, education, work, healthcare, and expression since the Taliban’s takeover in 2021. The report emphasizes that these widespread and systematic deprivations constitute an institutionalized system of discrimination, oppression, and domination amounting to crimes against humanity.
Previously, The Washington Post reported that the Taliban regard women who obtained divorces in Afghanistan as “lawbreakers” and “immoral.” The report said that thousands of divorced women are now at risk of imprisonment and violent retaliation. Since the fall of the former republic, power has shifted in favor of their husbands, who have ties with the Taliban. According to the report, many divorced women who remarried have been forced into hiding out of fear of retribution from their former husbands and accusations of “adultery.”
You can read the Persian version of this report here:
حق طلاق و پاسخ توهینآمیز طالبان؛ زنان بهطور سیستماتیک مورد تبعیض قرار میگیرند
