Domestic violence has intensified under Taliban rule since August 2021, as the regime has imposed more than 160 edicts and directives restricting the rights and freedoms of women and girls. By barring women from education and employment, severely limiting their freedom of movement, and denying them meaningful access to justice, the Taliban has deepened women’s dependence on their families and left many with fewer ways to escape abuse or seek protection. In this climate of systemic oppression and impunity, domestic violence can go unchallenged, while women and girls face the devastating risk of femicide.
Reports from The Guardian and Zan Times have recorded 231 cases of femicide across just ten provinces -there are 34 provinces – in Afghanistan since 2021. However, it is important to note that these reports emphasized the fact that these cases of femicide do not represent all of the cases in the country since 2021, given the fact that it’s difficult to record these instances of domestic violence after the Taliban has removed avenues to report these crimes.
The Taliban has dismantled the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, the prosecutor’s office that handled violence against women, and women’s shelters all together. Additionally, women judges and men judges that were trained on domestic violence issues and supported women, have all been removed. With the Taliban’s return to power, roughly 250 female judges lost their jobs and were banned from practicing. All those positions were filled with Taliban members, most of whom have no official training in law. The complete dismantling of all legal protections for women in Afghanistan has contributed to the increased rates of domestic violence in addition to a lack of legal accountability for men who commit domestic violence.
Even worse, the victims of just the recorded cases ranged from 5 to 65. Of these 231 cases, only 58 cases resulted in arrests of the suspect committing violence, only roughly 25% of cases. The lack of accountability for domestic violence is reinforced by the Taliban’s astonishing new Criminal Procedure Regulation of the Courts released in February 2026. In these regulations, it “allows husbands to physically punish their wives as long as the violence does not result in ‘broken bones or serious visible injuries.’” This regulation is evidence of the Taliban’s disregard for the rights, safety, and wellbeing of women. This new regulation just allows domestic violence to occur with no repercussions, and women are left paying the consequences with their dignity and lives. Liza Shams, a victim of domestic violence, passed away after going to the hospital for “being severely beaten” with “multiple fractures to her facial bones.”
The systematic oppression of women has left a huge burden on Afghan women not just physically, but also mentally and emotionally. With the lack of support or possibility to leave a relationship of domestic violence, there has been an increase in suicide due to psychological pressure. According to data from the UN, 7 in 10 women “describe their mental health as ‘bad’ or ‘very bad.’” Hasina, a young woman who was just 22 years old, took her own life after experiencing domestic violence from her husband and his family. Her uncle spoke out and said her death was “a killing caused by violence and oppression, even if the final act was carried out by her own hand.” He goes on to say “at such a young age, she had already gone through so much. She should have been studying, growing and preparing for a brighter future. Instead, she found herself in circumstances where, from her perspective, ending her life appeared to be the only escape.”
There is enough evidence to demonstrate that domestic violence is not just a household issue, but one compounded by a political system that strips women of their autonomy, protections, and opportunities. When women are banned from going to school, earning an income, seeking justice, or becoming independent – escaping an abusive situation is incredibly difficult. The consequences leave women isolated, psychologically distressed, and in the most tragic cases – dead.
Afghan women have repeatedly made clear that they deserve more than expressions of international concern. Their suffering must not remain hidden behind the closed doors of abusive households and be further obscured by the Taliban’s systematic efforts to erase women from public life and silence their voices. Without access to legal protection, education, economic independence, and meaningful avenues to seek justice, women will remain trapped in cycles of violence and impunity. The international community must move beyond words and take action to ensure Afghan women can live free from violence, exercise their fundamental rights, and access the protection and justice they deserve.
Sources: Zan Times, The Guardian, Equality Now