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KABUL: The US Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) reacted to recent policy announced by the Taliban government following a report by Human Rights Watch (HRW) about Taliban restricting women and girls’ sports activities and their access to medical services.
Last week, the Ministry of Virtue and Vice wrote a letter recommending that unaccompanied women should not go to sports and health centers.
The US Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction reacted to the restrictions on women’s sports activities.
“According to Human Rights Watch, there have been a number of concerning reports, including: Taliban bans on women’s sports, limited women’s access to health care due to Taliban rules requiring women to be chaperoned by a man,” SIGAR said.
Meanwhile, a number of female athletes in the country say the new restrictions are very challenging for them.
Ramzieya Saedi, who is a member of the Rostami wrestling team and the national Taekwondo team, said that she has been practicing sports for ten years. She has participated in international competitions. For the past five months, her sports activities have stopped.
In the meantime, officials of the Ministry of Virtue and Vice said that such rules are not restrictions but protection for the women and girls of the country.
“This is not a restriction, but provides protection and dignity to women,” said Mawlawi Mohammad Sadiq Aakef, spokesman for the Ministry of Virtue and Vice.
Following the imposition of restrictions on women, Human Rights Watch (HRW) called 2021 the worst year for women in Afghanistan, and the State Department appointed Rina Amiri as the US Special Envoy for Women, Girls, and Human Rights in Afghanistan.
The Taliban insist that the rights of all people, including women, are protected under Islamic law.
