Domestic violence in Afghanistan has been legalised under a new penal code, with husbands now allowed to beat their wives, as the Taliban continues its crackdown on women’s rights.
The new 90-page code stipulates that men may beat their wives as punishment due to their higher class-ranking compared to women, following the code’s division of society into four categories ranging from religious scholars and elites to middle and lower classes.
Women have been increasingly oppressed by the Taliban since it gained power in 2021. This penal code serves a blow to their scarce remaining rights, now giving them the same standing as slaves, leaving them vulnerable to far harsher treatment than the higher-ranking scholars and elites.
