A number of protesting women and members of the Movement for the Transformation of Women's History in Afghanistan held a street protest in Kabul against the restrictive policies of the interim government towards women and girls. This morning (Wednesday, September 21), protesting women marched in the Dasht-e-Barchi area in western Kabul, chanting against the current government's limiting policies. Members of the Movement for the Transformation of Women's History in Afghanistan strongly criticized the positions of the international community and European countries regarding the handover of Afghan embassies to the current government during this protest. They took to the streets with slogans such as "Education, Work, Freedom," "One Voice for Liberation," "Afghan Embassies, the Last Remnants of Afghanistan," "Save Afghanistan from Humanitarian Catastrophe," "Unconditional Freedom is Our Message," and "The Taliban Commit Crimes, the World Supports Them." The Movement for the Transformation of Women's History in Afghanistan issued a statement declaring that August 15 is a dark and shameful day for Afghanistan, a day when years of achievements by the Afghan people were sold off in the black market of Doha by incompetent rulers, leading to the plundering of the fate of millions of Afghan women and men. The statement further noted that alongside the resurgence of the interim government, liberation movements emerged in Afghanistan where women's roles have been significant and revitalizing. It stated that over the past three years of the current government's rule, Afghan women have actively participated in freedom movements to reclaim their lost rights and freedoms. The statement read: "Afghan women have been fighting under the most difficult conditions for three years. Their struggle has been accompanied by imprisonment, flogging, executions, rape, and stoning. Arbitrary executions, imprisoning women and protesters, public flogging, and numerous other crimes have also been reported by international media." Additionally, the Movement for the Transformation of Women's History in Afghanistan mentioned in part of its statement: "The current government, whose majority leaders are wanted by international police, travels freely to various countries from time to time, which is a warning sign for the region and the world." Members of the Movement for the Transformation of Women's History have called on the international community and human rights organizations to support the formation of a democratic government in Afghanistan instead of engaging with the current regime.

Officials from the Nangarhar Public Health Directorate report that 700 children, or more than three children per day, have died in Jalalabad Hospital over the past six months. In an interview with BBC News, officials stated that malnutrition and certain preventable diseases are the main causes of the increase in child mortality. The BBC News report highlights that approximately 3.2 million children in Afghanistan are suffering from malnutrition. It further notes that if Jalalabad Hospital had not received additional assistance from the World Bank and UNICEF, the death toll could have been significantly higher. The report continues by mentioning that until August 2021, international aid provided to the former Afghan government covered nearly all health facilities in Afghanistan. However, with the rise of the current government and due to sanctions, this aid was halted, leading to the collapse of Afghanistan's health system. Hamidullah Fatrat, deputy spokesman for the interim government, told BBC News: "We inherited the problems of poverty and malnutrition, which have been exacerbated by natural disasters like floods and climate change. The international community must increase humanitarian aid and should not link it to political and internal issues." It also states that only one out of every five children in need of hospital treatment can receive it at Jalalabad Hospital. The hospital serves residents from five neighboring provinces. This situation is compounded by the fact that over 700,000 Afghan refugees who were forcibly expelled from Pakistan since late last year have settled in Nangarhar province, further increasing pressure on Jalalabad Central Hospital. Stunted Growth in Children Additionally, a report published by BBC News on Monday points to "evidence of alarming statistics." It states that "45 percent of children under five years old in Afghanistan are stunted, shorter than they should be." The report mentions a two-year-old girl named Rubina, who cannot stand on her feet due to severe stunting. UNICEF warns that stunting can cause severe physical and cognitive damage, with effects that may last a lifetime and even impact future generations.

The Supreme Court of the caretaker government has announced that government forces in Ghor province have publicly whipped three women and four men on various charges. Today (Sunday, September 18), the Supreme Court stated in a press release that these individuals were whipped for various offenses, including fleeing from home, adultery, and invasion of privacy. The press release mentioned that these individuals were found guilty and punished by the local court of the current government in Ghor province. The Supreme Court added that two of the accused were each sentenced to three years in prison and 39 lashes, while two others received four years in prison and 39 lashes each. One more was sentenced to one year in prison and 39 lashes, and the last two were each sentenced to four months in prison and 29 lashes. The press release emphasized that these sentences were enforced after being approved by the Supreme Court of the caretaker government for these three women and four men. It is noteworthy that punishments, particularly public whipping, have significantly increased across the country since the takeover of the caretaker government in Afghanistan. The current government has whipped both women and men in public for various allegations. Additionally, during its three years of rule, at least eight individuals have been executed publicly in the provinces of Farah, Herat, Laghman, Ghazni, and Jowzjan. Human rights organizations consider executions and corporal punishment of accused individuals to be against international laws and human dignity, calling for an end to such practices. However, the current government has not responded positively to these requests so far.

Amidst the severe restrictions imposed by the interim government on women and girls in the country, a young woman in Badakhshan province has opened a restaurant exclusively for women. Zahra Goonish, a 31-year-old woman, established the "Goonish" restaurant about two months ago with the aim of supporting women who have been deprived of work and education. Zahra Goonish, who is both the owner and manager of the restaurant, states: "In the current situation, the only opportunity for women to engage in business is here. The doors of schools and universities are closed to us. My goal in starting this venture is to provide opportunities for women who have been sidelined from work and education due to the current conditions in Afghanistan." One of the young women who has been unable to continue her education for three years due to government restrictions and is now working as an employee at this restaurant says: "Since I couldn't continue my education, I decided to work at the restaurant. I wanted to alleviate my health and psychological issues through this job." With a choked voice and tear-filled eyes, she adds: "My main goal is to continue my education and achieve my dreams, but due to the difficult current circumstances, I have chosen this job to escape the psychological problems caused by unemployment and mental pressure." Despite existing challenges, women's activities in Badakhshan are not without obstacles. Some women express concern about the dire situation of young Badakhshani women who have resorted to hard labor. In light of these concerns, officials from the current government warn women that if they violate their laws, they will curb women's activities. Mawlawi Samaruddin, the director of industry enterprises in Badakhshan, states: "Women's activities are permitted within the framework of Islamic law and the directives of the Islamic Emirate. If they operate according to Sharia and the policies of the Emirate, we support their work. However, if their activities contradict Sharia and the principles of the Emirate, we will not only refrain from assisting them but will also be prepared to shut down their operations." It should be noted that at Goonish restaurant, girls prepare local and popular dishes with a unique flair and serve them to their customers. In addition to Goonish restaurant, another women-only restaurant called "Khadbano" is also operating in Badakhshan. It is noteworthy that over the past three years, due to restrictions imposed by the current government, many young Badakhshani girls have engaged in jobs such as restaurant management, tailoring, and carpet weaving.

The "Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security" and the Oslo Peace Research Institute have published a joint report stating that Afghanistan under the control of the caretaker government is the "worst" country for women and girls. IntelliNews today (Tuesday, 13 Sanblah) quoted the findings of this report and wrote that Afghanistan ranks last among 177 countries in terms of the status of women in the index of women, peace and security in the world. The "Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security" and the Oslo Peace Research Institute have examined the situation of women in 13 indicators, including justice and security, education, maternal mortality, employment, systematic violence, and gender-based violence. The report states that the authors made this point based on several "bitter" examples, including revenge killings of women by the caretaker government and their enforced disappearances. According to this report, due to the deterioration of health care in Afghanistan under the rule of the current government, this country has the highest rate in the world with about 620 maternal deaths out of 100,000 live births. Also, in the report, the approved law of commanding the good and prohibiting the evil of the caretaker government is also mentioned and it is said that this group has imposed new restrictions on women. According to this report, after Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Central Africa and Yemen are the worst countries for women. Denmark, Switzerland and Sweden are the top three countries in terms of the status of women. This is despite the fact that the caretaker government has imposed severe restrictions against women for the past three years. Last year, Afghanistan ranked last among 177 countries in the women's development sector. At the same time, this report is published that after the caretaker government returned to power in Afghanistan, girls above the sixth grade were deprived of education and then female students were banned from going to universities. It must be said that the restrictions of the current government have caused millions of female students to stay away from education. In addition, women are prohibited from going to sports clubs, restaurants, public baths, examination by male doctors, traveling without Muharram and working in domestic and international non-governmental organizations and even UN offices in Afghanistan.

Officials from the Prison Administration of the caretaker government recently announced that they have 10,000 to 11,000 prisoners, including one thousand women, in their jails. During a government accountability program in Kabul today (Sunday, September 11), officials from the Prison Administration stated that this number has been sentenced to prison by the government's courts. They also mentioned that among the prisoners, there are approximately 800 to 900 children. The officials emphasized that in addition to this, 10,000 to 12,000 others are being held in the group's detention centers. The Prison Administration officials denied allegations of prisoner abuse within the jails. This statement comes amid numerous reports over the past year regarding the deaths of prisoners due to torture by the current government's forces in state prisons. It should be noted that the United Nations and human rights organizations have repeatedly criticized the "arbitrary" detentions of individuals, particularly women and girls, by the caretaker government forces in Afghanistan. Reports from various organizations, including the United Nations, indicate that in the past three years, the caretaker government has detained dozens of women human rights activists and advocates for women's rights for "raising their voices for justice." Previously, Zarmina Pariyani, a women's rights activist, revealed that she was stripped naked in the current government's prison by their personnel, a matter that sparked widespread domestic and global reactions. Meanwhile, the news magazine Spectator reported last month, citing the United Nations, that sexual assault, gang rape, and sexual slavery against women in the current government's prisons are set to be investigated by the United Nations. A statement released by this magazine indicated that reports of sexual violence and assaults by the government against imprisoned women in Afghanistan have raised concerns from the U.S. State Department and Richard Bennett, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan, and the UN has announced an investigation into this matter.