Key facts
- UNAMA is concerned over multiple arrests and detentions of women in Herat for alleged non-compliance with dress requirements.
- Local media reported at least 21 women and girls were detained in Herat province.
- A recent Taliban directive prohibits women from appearing in public without a 'proper hijab'.
- The directive warned that women showing their faces or wearing makeup would face punitive measures.
- The Taliban has imposed sweeping restrictions on women and girls since regaining power in 2021.
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has voiced serious human rights concerns following the arrest and detention of women in Herat province for allegedly failing to adhere to "dress requirements." Local media reported that at least 21 women and girls were detained. UNAMA reminded the de facto authorities that all individuals, both women and men, are entitled to equality before the law and the right to freedom of movement.