UNAMA announced that the Taliban detained women and girls, predominately from Hazara-dominated areas in Dashte Barchi in western Kabul, and also some from Khair Khana area of Kabul, where most residents are Tajiks.

UNAMA published a report on Monday about the situation of human rights in Afghanistan covering October to December 2023. In its report, UNAMA also mentioned that a Taliban ombudsman told an unmarried woman at a health centre that she would lose her job if she did not get married.

As per UNAMA, Taliban’s Ministry of Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice officials said that it is not appropriate for unmarried women to work.

In the report released on Monday, covering the final three months of 2023, UNAMA has reported mass dismissal of women from their jobs by the Taliban in many provinces.

The report states that on October 22, in Nangarhar province, Taliban’s Ministry of Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice banned nearly 400 women from working in a pine nut processing factory, while the men were allowed to continue their work.

UNAMA wrote that no reason has been provided for the ban.

On November 22, in Balkh province, a power plant under the control of the Taliban fired 200 women for financial reasons, but “none of the male employees faced the same action”.

Violence against Hazaras and Shias

This UN organisation also announced that in the last three months of 2023, an explosion in Baghlan, two explosions in Kabul and three targeted assassinations in Herat targeted the Hazaras and Shia community of Afghanistan.

UNAMA stated that in these attacks, at least 49 people were killed, and 88 others were injured.

On October 13, in Pul-e-Khumri city of Baghlan, a suicide bomber detonated his explosives among Shia worshipers in a mosque, killing 21 people and injuring 30 others.

On October 26, an explosion of an IED inside a sports club in Dashte Barchi area killed eight people and injured 35 others.

On November 7, an explosion targeted a passenger bus again in Dashte Barchi, killing 11 and injuring 21.

ISIS-Khorasan claimed responsibility for all three attacks and stated that members of the Shia community were targeted.

Chain assassinations of Shia clerics in Herat

UNAMA’s report stated that in the last three months of 2023, a series of targeted killings of Shia religious scholars were carried out in Jibreal area of Herat city.

On October 22, a Shiite cleric was shot dead. On November 23, two Shia clerics were shot dead; and on December 1, six people (including two Shia religious scholars) were killed and two others got wounded.

So far, no group has claimed responsibility for these attacks in Herat and the perpetrators remain unidentified.