"Evidence of Systematic Violence Against Women"
In Afghanistan, which is under the rule of the Islamic extremist militant group Taliban, a 20-year-old woman took her own life by self-immolation in an attempt to avoid a forced marriage with a Taliban official.
According to Yonhap News on May 2, citing EFE News Agency and other sources, a 20-year-old woman named Abida set herself on fire at her home in Ghor Province, western Afghanistan, on April 27.
Afghan women protesters urging for the promotion of rights. Photo is not directly related to the article. Photo by AFP Yonhap News.
A relative of Abida, who spoke to the media on condition of anonymity, stated, "Taliban commander Mohammad Rahmani has been pressuring Abida and her family for years in order to marry her." Rahmani reportedly claimed that he was engaged to Abida when she was two years old. However, Abida's family denied this claim.
Recently, Taliban members raided Abida's home and arrested her father and brother. Abida reportedly believed that she would soon be forcibly taken as well, which led her to make the extreme decision. The relative said, "At the time of the incident, about 20 Taliban members surrounded the house," adding, "She had no way to escape."
So far, the Taliban authorities have made no comment regarding this incident, nor have they taken any action against Rahmani, who had been forcing the marriage.
The U.S.-based Afghan women's rights group 'Movement for the Freedom of Women' issued a statement on May 1, reporting Abida's self-immolation and condemning the Taliban, the Islamic extremist militant group ruling Afghanistan, for using religion and Sharia as a pretext to undermine the foundations of humanity and deprive women of even their most basic rights.
The Afghanistan Human Rights Defenders Committee, a local human rights organization, stated in a statement that this incident demonstrates that violence against women is being systematically perpetrated under Taliban rule in Afghanistan. The committee also pointed out that this case reveals widespread abuse of power by Taliban members, emphasizing that forced marriages by Taliban members are particularly rampant in rural areas.
One media outlet, citing a report from the Afghanistan Human Rights Center (AHRC), reported that 51% of forced and child marriages are linked to Taliban fighters and local commanders. The report also noted that some women have chosen to marry civilian men in order to avoid forced marriages with Taliban members.
Meanwhile, after the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan in August 2021 and the Taliban's return to power, the group implemented measures invoking Islamic law, including banning women's education and restricting employment and job opportunities for women. The international community has not officially recognized the Taliban government, citing violations of women's rights and other concerns.
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