14. July 2026
Dialogue Hub for Common Ground expresses grave concern over alarming reports of widespread and systematic violations against women and girls in Afghanistan, including allegations of sexual violence, abduction, forced marriage, unlawful detention, and other forms of gender-based violence.
Based on field-based testimonies and information collected from affected communities in northern and central provinces of Afghanistan, our organization has documented deeply disturbing accounts indicating that women and girls, particularly in marginalized and non-Pashtun communities, are facing heightened risks following the collapse of the former Afghan Republic and the takeover of the Taliban authorities.
These violations extend beyond the systematic restriction of women’s fundamental rights to education, employment, freedom of movement, and public participation. Reports indicate that some women and girls are experiencing severe threats to their safety, dignity, and bodily integrity, including within their own homes. Communities have reported cases where poverty, social vulnerability, and the absence of effective legal protection have been exploited to impose forced marriages and other forms of coercion, including against underage girls.
One particularly alarming case concerns Sadiqa, a girl from Bala Murghab district of Badghis province. According to testimony shared publicly by her mother, Qurban Gul, Sadiqa was allegedly taken into captivity at the age of 12 following a dispute related to her father’s debt involving a local Taliban-affiliated individual.
According to the family’s account, instead of receiving protection and justice, the case proceedings reportedly resulted in a situation where the child was presented with an impossible choice between forced marriage and imprisonment. The family states that Sadiqa chose imprisonment and has remained deprived of her freedom for approximately five years during critical years of her childhood and adolescence.
The family has further alleged that the lawyer involved in pursuing the case, identified as Hameed, was later killed under unclear circumstances in Herat. These allegations require urgent, independent, and impartial investigation to establish the facts and ensure accountability.
Dialogue Hub for Common Ground emphasizes that forced marriage, child marriage, sexual violence, abduction, and unlawful detention constitute serious violations of international human rights standards and may amount to crimes under international law when committed as part of widespread or systematic attacks against civilian populations.
We call upon:
* The Taliban authorities to immediately end all forms of violence, coercion, and discrimination against women and girls; ensure access to justice; and protect all individuals from abuse regardless of ethnicity, social status, or gender.
* The United Nations and international human rights mechanisms to establish independent monitoring and investigation mechanisms to document violations against Afghan women and girls.
* The international community to ensure that accountability remains central to engagement with Afghanistan and that survivors receive protection, support, and access to justice.
* Human rights organizations and defenders to continue documenting testimonies from survivors while ensuring confidentiality, safety, and survivor-centered approaches.
The suffering of Afghan women and girls cannot be ignored or normalized. Their voices, experiences, and demands for justice must remain at the center of international efforts concerning Afghanistan.
Dialogue Hub for Common Ground remains committed to documenting human rights violations, amplifying survivor voices, and advocating for dignity, equality, justice, and accountability for all Afghans.
Dialogue Hub for Common Ground
