Afghanistan’s Virtue Ministry: Over 3,400 women’s rights complaints addressed in 10 months

Afghanistan’s Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice says it has reviewed and handled thousands of complaints related to women’s issues in an effort to ensure their rights under Islamic law.

In a statement released on Sunday, the ministry said that 3,511 complaints concerning women’s rights were registered with the institution over the past ten months.

According to the statement, authorities have addressed 3,481 of those cases. The ministry added that in the past week alone, officials prevented 73 cases of domestic violence and nine forced marriages, while securing inheritance rights for 15 women.

The ministry also emphasized that, in line with directives from the leadership of the Islamic Emirate, efforts will continue to protect women’s rights under Sharia and prevent injustice or abuse against them.

It called on citizens to report violations of women’s rights or family-related disputes to the relevant authorities so that they can be investigated and resolved.

The IEA’s statement comes after a UN report stated women in Afghanistan are four times less likely than men to access justice.

The report, issued by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), and shared by UN Women on Sunday, stated the disparity highlights a deep justice gap that leaves many Afghan women without effective legal protection or support.

The findings show that many women remain without safe and reliable avenues to seek redress, claim their rights or hold perpetrators accountable for abuse or discrimination.

The report noted that only 14% of women surveyed said they had access to formal justice mechanisms, compared with 53% of men, underscoring the sharp inequality in legal access.

Georgette Gagnon, acting head of UNAMA, said barriers to justice weaken trust in institutions and make communities and individuals more vulnerable when large segments of society cannot resolve disputes or seek protection.