2024 State of Human Rights in Afghanistan: Key Violations and Global Response

Table of Contents#

Post-2021 Context: Taliban's Rise and Policy Overhaul
Key Human Rights Violations: A Breakdown by Group 2.1 Women and Girls: Systemic Erasure from Public Life 2.2 Ethnic and Religious Minorities: Targeted Discrimination and Violence 2.3 Journalists and Activists: Silencing Dissent 2.4 Civil Liberties: Erosion of Fundamental Freedoms
Isolated Progress: Glimmers of Hope Amid Crisis
International Response: Advocacy, Sanctions, and Humanitarian Aid
Path Forward: Recommendations for Stakeholders
Conclusion
References

1. Post-2021 Context: Taliban's Rise and Policy Overhaul#

The Taliban's return to power marked an immediate reversal of 20 years of human rights gains under the previous government. Upon seizing Kabul, the group implemented a strict interpretation of Sharia law, rolling back policies that protected women's education, media freedom, and minority rights.

While the Taliban initially promised an inclusive government and respect for basic human rights, these commitments quickly fell by the wayside. By 2022, the group had banned girls from secondary and university education, restricted women's access to work and public spaces, and cracked down on independent media. In August 2024, the Taliban codified these restrictions into law with the "Law on the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice," a sweeping morality code that bans women's voices from being heard in public, mandates strict dress codes, and criminalizes same-sex relations. Today, Afghanistan's human rights record ranks among the worst globally, with the UN describing the situation as "a humanitarian and human rights catastrophe."

2. Key Human Rights Violations: A Breakdown by Group#

2.1 Women and Girls: Systemic Erasure from Public Life#

Women and girls have borne the brunt of the Taliban's policies, facing systemic discrimination that amounts to gender apartheid, according to the UN.

Education Bans: In September 2021, the Taliban ordered high schools to reopen only for boys, effectively banning girls from secondary education. In December 2022, it banned women from attending universities. By 2025, nearly 80 per cent of young Afghan women between the ages of 18 and 29 were not in education, employment, or training, according to UN Women.
Work Restrictions: Women are prohibited from working in most sectors, including non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and public administration. The Taliban shut down women-run beauty salons and a women's radio station in 2025, and restricted women's participation in humanitarian aid delivery.
Reproductive Health Access: The ban on female healthcare workers and restrictions on women's movement have reduced access to life-saving reproductive care. The World Health Organization's Deputy Representative for Afghanistan reported in April 2025 that the maternal mortality rate had risen to an estimated 620 deaths per 100,000 live births, up from 521 in 2023 (World Bank). UNFPA projected that the closure of health facilities following US aid cuts would result in approximately 1,200 additional maternal deaths between 2025 and 2028. The ban on midwifery and nursing training, effective December 2024, threatens to worsen this crisis further.
Forced Marriages: Child marriage rates have surged under Taliban rule. Amnesty International has documented the Taliban's systematic enablement of child marriage, including a 2024 family law decree that legitimizes marriages conducted during childhood and limits women's ability to seek divorce.

2.2 Ethnic and Religious Minorities: Targeted Discrimination and Violence#

Ethnic and religious minorities—including the Hazara, Shia, Sikh, and Hindu communities—face targeted attacks and systemic discrimination.

Hazara Community: The Shia Hazara minority, which makes up an estimated 9–15% of Afghanistan's population, has been repeatedly targeted by ISIS-K and the Taliban. The UN has documented hundreds of attacks on Hazara civilians, including bombings of schools and mosques. In July 2025, Taliban authorities forcibly evicted approximately 25 Hazara families (around 200 people) from Rashk village in Bamiyan province. The Taliban also banned Shia religious books and gatherings in September 2025 and used physical abuse and death threats to compel Ismaili community members in Badakhshan to convert to the Sunni faith.
Sikh and Hindu Communities: These groups have seen their numbers collapse from an estimated 700,000 in the 1970s to approximately 150 individuals by the end of 2021, due to decades of persecution and forced displacement. By 2023, only a handful of Sikh and Hindu individuals remained in the country, residing primarily in the Karte Parwan Gurdwara in Kabul.

2.3 Journalists and Activists: Silencing Dissent#

The Taliban has systematically silenced independent media and human rights activists to suppress criticism:

Media Crackdown: Over 80% of independent media outlets have been closed since 2021, according to Reporters Without Borders. Journalists face arrest, torture, and censorship for reporting on human rights violations. In September 2024, the Taliban banned live broadcasts of political shows and limited media interviews to individuals from a pre-approved list. In August 2025, the Taliban leader banned poetry readings encouraging friendships between boys and girls or critical of Taliban decisions.
Activist Persecution: Human rights activists, particularly women, have been targeted for their work. Many have fled the country, while others operate underground to avoid arrest. Zarifa Ghafari, Afghanistan's youngest female mayor, fled to Germany in 2021 after receiving death threats from the Taliban.

2.4 Civil Liberties: Erosion of Fundamental Freedoms#

Basic civil liberties have been eroded across the board:

Freedom of Speech: The Taliban monitors social media and punishes anyone who criticizes the regime. Citizens face flogging or imprisonment for posting content deemed "un-Islamic." In September 2025, authorities carried out a 48-hour shutdown of fiber optic internet and all telecommunications across Afghanistan.
Arbitrary Detentions and Corporal Punishment: The Taliban's security forces conduct arbitrary arrests without due process. In its first two quarterly reports of 2025, UNAMA documented 414 cases of corporal punishment involving public lashings, mostly on accusations of "moral" crimes. The Taliban also carried out public executions of at least four men in 2025.
Freedom of Assembly: Public protests are banned, and demonstrators face violence. The Taliban has used live ammunition to disperse protests, including demonstrations by women demanding the right to education.

3. Isolated Progress: Glimmers of Hope Amid Crisis#

Despite the overwhelming human rights crisis, there are isolated pockets of progress:

Polio Eradication: The Taliban has allowed international health organizations to continue polio vaccination campaigns. Afghanistan reported 23 wild poliovirus cases in 2024 and 4 cases in the first nine months of 2025, a significant improvement from earlier years, though the disease remains endemic (WHO, GPEI).
Rural Healthcare Access: Some NGOs have been permitted to operate in rural areas, providing basic healthcare to communities that were previously underserved. However, the sudden withdrawal of US aid in 2025 led to the closure of over 400 health facilities, severely undermining these gains.
Local Dispute Resolution: The Taliban's local shura (council) system has provided accessible dispute resolution for rural communities, reducing reliance on corrupt formal courts. However, these councils often prioritize tribal customs over human rights, particularly for women.

4. International Response: Advocacy, Sanctions, and Humanitarian Aid#

The international community has responded to the crisis with a mix of advocacy, sanctions, and humanitarian aid:

UN Oversight: The UN Human Rights Council established a Special Rapporteur on Afghanistan in 2021, who publishes regular reports documenting human rights violations. In October 2025, the Council adopted by consensus a resolution establishing a comprehensive independent international accountability mechanism for Afghanistan, mandated to investigate and collect evidence of grave violations and support future prosecutions.
ICC Arrest Warrants: In July 2025, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Taliban supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada and Chief Justice Abdul Hakim Haqqani, charging them with crimes against humanity for the persecution of women and girls and of LGBT people—a landmark step toward accountability.
Targeted Sanctions: The EU and US have imposed targeted sanctions on Taliban leaders responsible for human rights abuses. However, broad economic sanctions have exacerbated the humanitarian crisis, limiting access to essential goods and services.
Humanitarian Aid: In 2026, approximately 22 million people—nearly half of Afghanistan's population—will require humanitarian assistance, according to OCHA. The sudden and complete withdrawal of US aid in 2025, which had provided 40 per cent of all aid to Afghanistan in 2024 ( $736.6 million), devastated the healthcare system and other essential services. The UN's 2026 humanitarian appeal for Afghanistan seeks$ 1.71 billion, reflecting a 29 per cent reduction from the prior year.

5. Path Forward: Recommendations for Stakeholders#

To address the human rights crisis in Afghanistan, stakeholders must take coordinated action:

Prioritize Women's Rights: The international community should make the reversal of women's education and work bans a precondition for any engagement with the Taliban.
Support the ICC Accountability Mechanism: Back the newly established international accountability mechanism and the ICC arrest warrants to ensure evidence preservation and future prosecutions.
Targeted Sanctions Over Broad Measures: Replace broad economic sanctions with targeted sanctions against Taliban officials responsible for human rights violations, to avoid harming civilians.
Restore Humanitarian Funding: Urgently restore and expand humanitarian aid, with a focus on healthcare, maternal services, and education programs for women and girls. Advocate for the Taliban to lift restrictions on female aid workers.
Support Local Defenders: Provide funding, safe houses, and asylum pathways for human rights activists and journalists at risk.
Quiet Diplomacy: Engage with the Taliban through quiet, behind-the-scenes diplomacy to push for incremental changes, while holding them accountable for their human rights commitments.

6. Conclusion#

The state of human rights in Afghanistan remains dire, with women, girls, and minority communities facing unprecedented levels of repression. The Taliban's 2024 morality law, the collapse of the healthcare system following US aid cuts, and the ban on midwifery training have pushed the crisis to new depths. While the ICC's landmark arrest warrants represent a step toward accountability, much more is needed. The international community must act urgently to uphold human rights in Afghanistan, prioritizing the rights of marginalized groups and holding the Taliban accountable for its actions. Without meaningful intervention, Afghanistan risks becoming a failed state where basic human dignity is denied to half its population.

7. References#

Human Rights Watch. (2026). World Report 2026: Afghanistan. https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2026/country-chapters/afghanistan
UN Women. (2025). Afghanistan: Ten facts about the world's most severe women's rights crisis. https://www.unwomen.org/en/news-stories/press-release/2025/08/afghanistan-ten-facts-about-the-worlds-most-severe-womens-rights-crisis
Afghanistan Analysts Network. (2025). Is maternal mortality on the rise in Afghanistan? https://www.afghanistan-analysts.org/en/reports/rights-freedom/is-maternal-mortality-on-the-rise-in-afghanistan-no-official-data-but-much-cause-for-concern/
Global Polio Eradication Initiative. (2025). Polio in Afghanistan: Cases, Vaccination & Updates. https://polioeradication.org/country/afghanistan/
United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). (2025). Afghanistan Humanitarian Update. https://www.unocha.org/afghanistan
Human Rights Watch. (2025). ICC Issues Arrest Warrants for Senior Taliban Leaders. https://www.hrw.org/news/2025/07/08/afghanistan-icc-issues-arrest-warrants-for-senior-taliban-leaders
Amnesty International. (2026). Afghanistan: New code enabling child marriage compounds dismal situation for women's and girls' rights. https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2026/06/afghanistan-new-code-enabling-child-marriage-compounds-dismal-situation-for-womens-and-girls-rights/
Reporters Without Borders. (2023). Afghanistan: Media Freedom in Crisis.
UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). (2026). Afghanistan: Global Humanitarian Overview 2026. https://humanitarianaction.info/document/global-humanitarian-overview-2026/article/afghanistan-4
European Union Agency for Asylum. (2024). Country Guidance: Afghanistan—Hindus and Sikhs. https://www.euaa.europa.eu/country-guidance-afghanistan-2024/3143-hindus-and-sikhs