United Nations Presses the Taliban to Halt Arrests of Women Over Dress Rules

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan urged the Taliban to stop arresting women over dress rules, though it did not specify how many had been affected, The Hindu reported. The appeal followed accounts from the western city of Herat, where eyewitnesses described women being detained in a clothing crackdown, according to Euronews.

Under Taliban rules, women must be fully covered when they leave home, and many wear a flowing abaya robe with a headscarf and a face covering. The reported detentions mark a tightening of enforcement that the United Nations and rights groups say further restricts the already narrow public life available to women.

Beyond the human cost, the systematic exclusion of women from work and public space carries an economic cost for a country already dependent on humanitarian aid. Removing half the population from the labor force limits any prospect of recovery and deepens Afghanistan's isolation from the international financial system.