Women

Woman released after eight months of captivity by husband in Samangan

A woman in Samangan province in central Afghanistan was freed after spending eight months imprisoned by her husband, Taliban police command said in a statement on Wednesday.

The woman had been held captive and tortured by her husband in the Feroz Nakhchir district of the province, the statement added.

Following her release, the woman was transferred to the provincial hospital in Samangan for treatment.

Taliban reported that two individuals have been arrested in connection with this incident.

Violence against women is a persistent issue in various parts of Afghanistan, particularly in remote areas. Contributing factors include harmful traditions, low literacy rates among family members, forced marriages, societal views of women as second-class citizens, male dominance in households, and family disputes.

Some citizens argue that since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in August 2021, their stringent policies against women’s rights, combined with poverty and unemployment, have exacerbated violence against women.

These citizens claim that preventing women and girls from continuing their education, the Taliban’s “misogynistic” behaviors, and the widespread poverty and joblessness are major drivers of such violence.