The Taliban regime in Afghanistan has modified divorce laws, now requiring both parties, husband and wife, to be present in court in order to get a divorce.
Under the previous Afghan government, women were granted the right to get ‘one-sided divorces’ in order to help them escape abusive marriages, according to The Washington Post.
Women could testify about suffering abuse at the hands of their husband, even if he had refused to make an appearance in court.
The Post clarified that the Taliban had not commented on ‘one-sided divorces’ being nulled or whether a woman can be married after gaining a divorce in such a manner. However, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid has said that both parties must appear before a judge to request a divorce under the Taliban’s interpretation of Islamic law.
Under the Taliban regime, it has become more difficult for women to seek refuge after escaping an abusive marriage. A psychologist told The Post that local aid groups providing counselling and relief to abused women have been shut down. She also elaborated that under the new law, it has become more difficult to prove domestic violence.
“Under the new law, women need to first go to the police station and provide multiple witnesses to prove abuse or if their husband is addicted to drugs,” she said.
Women face more problems to find legal counseling as the Taliban have banned women from working as lawyers and judges. A lawyer speaking to the Post revealed that more women will find it harder to leave their abusive marriages if they cannot find proper legal representation to help them escape domestic violence:
“The Taliban have created the perfect situation for men seeking revenge. The courts have lost their effectiveness and instead we see on the news women receiving [public] lashings for adultery.”
Previously the Taliban regime caused international outcry after enforcing a policies that restricted women’s movement. Women were banned from attending high school and college, couldn’t travel anywhere without a male guardian and were restricted from attending parks, fairs or gyms.
The United Nations received a report on the state of human rights in Afghanistan, which had criticized the Taliban regime for pursuing a policy ‘tantamount to gender apartheid’.
