UN Human Rights Spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani on new repressive law in Afghanistan
/
3:11
/
MP4
/
465 MB
Transcripts
Download

Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG

UN Human Rights Spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani on new repressive law in Afghanistan

“The newly-adopted law on “Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice” by the de facto authorities in Afghanistan cements policies that completely erase women’s presence in public – silencing their voices, and depriving them of their individual autonomy, effectively attempting to render them into faceless, voiceless shadows,” she said.

This is utterly intolerable. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk calls for this egregious law to be immediately repealed,” Shamdasani stated.

“The long list of repressive provisions that this law imposes on women reinforces a number of existing restrictions that violate their fundamental human rights, including their freedom of movement, their freedom of expression, and their right to live free from discrimination. The law includes the requirement to wear clothes that completely cover their bodies from head to toe, including their faces; a ban for transport providers on transporting women unless they are accompanied by a male relative; and the prohibition on women’s voices being heard in public,” Shamdasani said.

Other restrictions in the law, which are vaguely defined, affect other human rights, such as the right to freely practice one’s religion. The law also grants State agents broad, discretionary powers to detain people, impose punishments on them, or refer matters to courts

“The law further tightens the grip on the media sector, with a ban on publishing images of human beings, presumably also those of de facto officials,” the spokesperson said.

“We call on the de facto authorities to immediately repeal this legislation, which is in clear violation of Afghanistan’s obligations under international human rights law,” she said.

“Disempowering and rendering invisible and voiceless half the population of Afghanistan will only worsen the human rights and humanitarian crisis in the country. Rather, this is a time to bring together all the people of Afghanistan, irrespective of their gender, religion or ethnicity, to help resolve the many challenges the country faces,” Shamdasani said.

“When I was in Afghanistan, about two years ago, this should come as no surprise, we were sitting around the table with several women representatives, who were sharing with us the issues that their communities face and solutions. These women were full of solutions. They are in contact with people in the community at a very close level. They understand the issues that are facing the most vulnerable. They have solutions. They need to be given a seat at the table to help implement those solutions. These are partners who are being completely silenced and they're attempting to render them into shadows. Their voices are no longer permissible. Education is no longer permissible. you cannot even see their faces. This needs to stop, and we need to continue talking about it. We need to continue advocating for it and putting pressure on the authorities to listen,” she said.

ENDS

For more information and media requests, please contact:

In Geneva

Ravina Shamdasani - + 41 22 917 9169 / ravina.shamdasani@un.org or

Thameen Al-Kheetan - +41 76 223 77 62 / thameen.alkheetan@un.org

Tag and share

Twitter @UNHumanRights

Facebook unitednationshumanrights

Instagram @unitednationshumanrights

STORY: UN Human Rights Spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani on new repressive law in Afghanistan

TRT: 03:11

SOURCE: UNTV / OHCHR
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: English/NATS
ASPECT RATIO: 16:9
DATELINE: 27 August 2024 – GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

SHOTLIST

  1. Exterior shot: Palais des Nations
  2. Interior shot: Briefing room
  3. SOUNDBITE (English)—Ravina Shamdasani, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR): The newly-adopted law on “Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice” by the de facto authorities in Afghanistan cements policies that completely erase women’s presence in public – silencing their voices, and depriving them of their individual autonomy, effectively attempting to render them into faceless, voiceless shadows.
  4. Cutaway: briefing room
  5. SOUNDBITE (English)—Ravina Shamdasani, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR): This is utterly intolerable. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk calls for this egregious law to be immediately repealed.”
  6. Cutaway: briefing room
  7. Ravina Shamdasani, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR): The long list of repressive provisions that this law imposes on women reinforces a number of existing restrictions that violate their fundamental human rights, including their freedom of movement, their freedom of expression, and their right to live free from discrimination. The law includes the requirement to wear clothes that completely cover their bodies from head to toe, including their faces; a ban for transport providers on transporting women unless they are accompanied by a male relative; and the prohibition on women’s voices being heard in public.”
  8. Cutaway: briefing room
  9. Ravina Shamdasani, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR): The law further tightens the grip on the media sector, with a ban on publishing images of human beings, presumably also those of de facto officials.”
  10. Cutaway: briefing room
  11. Ravina Shamdasani, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR): We call on the de facto authorities to immediately repeal this legislation, which is in clear violation of Afghanistan’s obligations under international human rights law.”
  12. Cutaway: briefing room
  13. Ravina Shamdasani, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR): Disempowering and rendering invisible and voiceless half the population of Afghanistan will only worsen the human rights and humanitarian crisis in the country. Rather, this is a time to bring together all the people of Afghanistan, irrespective of their gender, religion or ethnicity, to help resolve the many challenges the country faces.”
  14. Cutaway: briefing room
  15. Ravina Shamdasani, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR): When I was in Afghanistan, about two years ago, this should come as no surprise, we were sitting around the table with several women representatives, who were sharing with us the issues that their communities face and solutions. These women were full of solutions. They are in contact with people in the community at a very close level. They understand the issues that are facing the most vulnerable. They have solutions. They need to be given a seat at the table to help implement those solutions. These are partners who are being completely silenced and they're attempting to render them into shadows. Their voices are no longer permissible. Education is no longer permissible. you cannot even see their faces. This needs to stop, and we need to continue talking about it. We need to continue advocating for it and putting pressure on the authorities to listen.”
  16. Cutaway: briefing room


Audio Files 1
Download UN Human Rights Spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani on new repressive law in Afghanistan (Edited Story)
Download

Similar Stories

UN Human Rights Spokesperson Elizabeth Throssell on DPRK

1

1

1

Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG

UN Human Rights Spokesperson Elizabeth Throssell on DPRK ENG FRA

New UN Human Rights report finds 10 years of increased suffering repression and fear

The UN Human Rights Office on Friday published a report on the human rights situation in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) since 2014. 

Afghanistan update - UNICEF UNHCR 12 September 2025

1

1

2

Edited News | UNICEF , UNHCR

Afghanistan update - UNICEF UNHCR 12 September 2025 ENG FRA

The ongoing humanitarian response to the devastating Afghanistan earthquake disaster continued on Friday, although essential services have been cut for operational reasons following reinforced Taliban restrictions on women working with the UN, the global body said.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights report on DRC at the 60th Human Rights Council

1

1

1

Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights report on DRC at the 60th Human Rights Council ENG FRA

Un nouveau rapport du Haut-Commissariat des Nations Unies aux droits de l'homme sur la République démocratique du Congo évoque le spectre de crimes de guerre et de crimes contre l'humanité dans le Nord et le Sud-Kivu., 

HRC60 Press Conference: Report of the Sudan Fact-Finding Mission - 09 September 2025

2

1

2

Press Conferences , Edited News | HRC

HRC60 Press Conference: Report of the Sudan Fact-Finding Mission - 09 September 2025 ENG FRA

A high-level independent rights probe into the Sudan crisis on Tuesday condemned the many grave crimes committed against civilians by all parties to the war, citing disturbing evidence indicating that they had been “deliberately targeted, displaced and starved”.

Ukraine attacks - health update - WHO

1

1

1

Edited News | WHO

Ukraine attacks - health update - WHO ENG FRA

Ukraine: ‘Relentless’ attacks rattle health system as winter approaches: WHO

Ambulances attacked, chronically ill patients lacking care and no peace in sight: for millions of Ukrainians, the run-up to another winter of war is just the latest life-or-death challenge they face, the UN health agency (WHO) said on Tuesday.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights presents report on Sri Lanka to 60th HRC

1

1

1

Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights presents report on Sri Lanka to 60th HRC ENG FRA

UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk on Monday delivered his report on Sri Lanka to the 60th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva.

HRC 60 HC Volker Türk Global update speech

1

1

1

Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG

HRC 60 HC Volker Türk Global update speech ENG FRA

UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk on Monday delivered his global update to the 60th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva.

DRC: UN report raises spectre of war crimes and crimes against humanity

1

1

1

Edited News | OHCHR

DRC: UN report raises spectre of war crimes and crimes against humanity ENG FRA

A UN report on the Democratic Republic of Congo raises specter of war crimes and crimes against humanity in North and South Kivu, according to UN Human Rights Spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani.

Global air pollution update - WMO 04 September 2025

1

1

1

Edited News | WMO

Global air pollution update - WMO 04 September 2025 ENG FRA

As billions of people continue to breathe polluted air that causes more than 4.5 million premature deaths every year, UN climate experts on Friday highlighted how damaging microscopic smoke particles from wildfires play their part, travelling half-way across the world.

UN Human Rights Spokesperson Jeremy Laurence on Cameroon

1

1

1

Edited News | OHCHR

UN Human Rights Spokesperson Jeremy Laurence on Cameroon ENG FRA

UN Human Rights Office Spokesperson Jeremy Laurence made the following comment on the on-going presidential election process in Cameroon at the bi-weekly press briefing in Geneva. 

UN Human Rights Spokesperson Jeremy Laurence on Myanmar

1

1

1

Edited News | OHCHR

UN Human Rights Spokesperson Jeremy Laurence on Myanmar ENG FRA

The UN Human Rights Office released a new report on Myanmar, describing death, destruction and desperation which reflect atrocities committed in 2017. 

Afghanistan earthquake update OCHA - IFRC - UNHCR

1

1

1

Edited News | OCHA , IFRC , UNHCR

Afghanistan earthquake update OCHA - IFRC - UNHCR ENG FRA

Afghanistan: Humanitarians scramble to reach survivors of deadly quake; response at ‘breaking point’

In remote eastern Afghanistan, aid workers are racing to assist survivors of Sunday’s devastating earthquake as the death toll continues to climb, UN humanitarians said on Tuesday.