Afghanistan's Taliban rulers have issued a decree calling for the enforcement of certain women’s rights that are already enshrined in Shari’a law, but failed to mention key areas of concern for rights groups and Western governments such as education and work.
The decree, issued on December 3, calls on leaders throughout Afghan society "to take serious action to enforce women's rights."
It then focuses on marriage and widow's rights, saying "no one can force women to marry by coercion or pressure." It does not, however, specifically mention underage marriage.
It also does not mention secondary education for girls, which has been suspended, or the employment of women, who have been barred from returning to jobs in the public sector since the Taliban seized power in August.
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'Dreams Destroyed': Afghan Women Lament Losses After 100 Days Of Taliban Rule
Western governments, the United Nations, and human rights groups have expressed deep concern about rights abuses following the Taliban takeover, and pressed the militants to set up an inclusive government and protect the rights of all Afghans, including minorities and women.
Women's rights were sharply curtailed when the Taliban held power from 1996 to late 2001, but the militants have suggested that they are more moderate now even though the Taliban-led, all-male government has rolled back the rights of girls and women.
The vast majority of women have been banned from working, while many girls and women have been deprived of the right to an education, prompting key global donors from restoring aid to Afghanistan even as it teeters on the brink of a humanitarian catastrophe with rising poverty, a lack of food, and a collapsing economy.
In a report published on December 2, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs warned that more than 24 million people in Afghanistan -- 65 percent of the country's population -- will require life-saving assistance next year, including around 9 million people expected to be on the brink of famine.