The Ministry of Justice of the caretaker government of Afghanistan has announced that Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada, the leader of this government, has ratified the "Law on Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice," which is now in effect in the country. In a statement, the ministry said that this law consists of a preamble, four chapters, and 35 articles, and has been published in the official gazette. According to this law, covering the entire body of women is mandatory, covering the face due to fear of temptation is necessary, and women's voices are considered part of "awrah" (that which must be concealed). The statement mentions that the Ministry of Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice and its officials are responsible for implementing this law in accordance with Sharia and Hanafi jurisprudence. It should be noted that Article 13 of this law, which contains eight clauses, is dedicated to "Rules Regarding Women's Hijab." According to the announced law, the first clause states that "covering the entire body of a woman is mandatory," while the second clause mentions that "covering a woman's face due to fear of temptation is necessary." The third clause emphasizes that "the voice of women (singing songs, reciting poetry, and reading in gatherings) is considered awrah." Additionally, the fourth clause states that "women's clothing should not be thin, short, or tight." The fifth clause mandates that "Muslim women are obliged to conceal their bodies and faces from non-mahram men." The sixth clause also states that "the covering of Muslim women and righteous women from non-believing and immoral women due to fear of temptation is obligatory." In the seventh clause of Article 13, it is stated that "the gaze of adult non-mahram men at women's bodies and faces and the gaze of adult women at non-mahram men is forbidden." The eighth clause stipulates that "if an adult woman leaves her house for a necessary need, she is obliged to cover her voice, face, and body." Furthermore, another section of this law explains the responsibilities of the officials in the Ministry of Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice regarding media and press. It should be noted that Article 17 of this law states that an official must ensure that media representatives do not publish content that contradicts religion and Sharia, does not insult or demean Muslims, and does not contain images of living beings. Women Without Mahram and Transportation This law prohibits playing music in vehicles, transporting uncovered women, and transporting women who do not have a legally recognized adult male guardian (mahram). According to this law, celebrations such as Nowruz (Persian New Year), Yalda Night, fireworks, trimming or shaving beards, wearing ties, and grooming hair are deemed contrary to Islamic Sharia; allowing women's voices to be heard outside the home and viewing images and videos of living beings on computers and mobile phones are categorized as specific "vices," and it is stated that officials are responsible for preventing them. This law also outlines penalties for individuals who do not adhere to the principles of promotion of virtue and prevention of vice as per this law. According to this law, offenders will first receive a warning, followed by a reminder of divine punishment. Subsequently, they may face verbal reprimands, fines, detention from one to 24 hours or from one day to three days in public jails, and finally penalties deemed necessary by the official that do not require judicial proceedings. It should be noted that over the past three years, the Ministry of Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice has imposed extensive restrictions on fundamental freedoms for citizens, especially women, repeatedly detaining women and young girls from streets on charges of "improper hijab."

The UK Embassy for Afghanistan has announced, on the occasion of World Humanitarian Day, that over 2.7 million people, including 1.3 million women, have received assistance to improve the difficult humanitarian situation in Afghanistan over the past year. In a message shared on their X account, the embassy reported on their continued support for the people of Afghanistan under the interim government's rule. Part of the statement reads: "We will continue to work with our partners to improve the challenging humanitarian situation faced by the people of Afghanistan, especially women." Yesterday, August 19, was World Humanitarian Day. The United Nations designated this day in memory of 22 of its staff members who were killed in a bombing in Baghdad in 2003. This year's observance comes at a time when women and girls across Afghanistan are facing serious challenges in accessing humanitarian aid due to restrictions imposed by the interim government. According to UN statistics, 23.7 million people require humanitarian assistance. Additionally, the Women, Peace and Security Working Group previously reported that about 80% of those in need of humanitarian aid are women and girls. The World Food Programme has also warned about the high number of people in need in Afghanistan and a lack of funding, stating that they will be unable to provide emergency assistance to 11 million people.

The campaign of Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee for the upcoming U.S. elections, has announced the appointment of Nasreen Barakzai, an Afghan-American attorney, as an advisor on Muslim and Arab community affairs in the campaign. NBC News reported, citing Harris's campaign, that Nasreen Barakzai has worked since 2021 until July of this year as a political advisor on issues related to Muslims, Arabs, the Gaza conflict, reproductive rights, voting, and democracy in the office of Kamala Harris, the Vice President of the United States. Campaign officials stated that Ms. Barakzai will hold a similar role in Kamala Harris's election campaign. She has previously worked as an advisor to the Vice President of the United States. Muslim Americans, particularly Arabs, are dissatisfied with the Democratic Party and Kamala Harris due to Joe Biden's policies regarding the Gaza conflict and his government's strong support for Israel. These communities believe that Kamala Harris will continue Biden's policies regarding Gaza and Israel. The primary duty of this Afghan-American advisor in Kamala Harris's campaign will be to engage and consult with Muslim communities, especially Arab Americans, and to garner their support for Harris's election campaign. In a statement from Kamala Harris's campaign, Ms. Barakzai said: "I am honored to continue my work with the Vice President and will advise on a wide range of important issues in this election, from democracy and reproductive rights to Muslim and Arab affairs." Who is Nasreen Barakzai? According to available information, Nasreen Barakzai was born in 1979 in Kandahar province in southern Afghanistan during the Soviet invasion. Ms. Barakzai told Glamour magazine that her father and uncle were captured during that time and went missing. Following this, she and her family migrated to Pakistan to escape the Soviet bombings when she was about two years old. After living in Pakistan for three years, she immigrated to the United States in 1985 under a refugee resettlement program and graduated from Berkeley Law School in California in 2005. Before joining the Vice President's office in 2021 as an advisor to Kamala Harris, she worked as a legal expert and national security attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). Nasreen Barakzai has also served as a national security and civil rights attorney at the Asian Americans Advancing Justice organization. According to a report by Al-Monitor, during her work with this organization, she was responsible for defending student protests supporting Palestine and advocating for them against pressures from pro-Israel Jewish students. The Jerusalem Post has claimed that Ms. Barakzai referred to Jewish students' concerns about anti-Semitism on U.S. campuses as "organized legal bullying" in her statements and writings. In response to complaints from Jewish students against several U.S. universities due to "hostile anti-Israel rhetoric on campus," she stated that these complaints were attempts to silence pro-Palestinian activism. The Israeli publication reported that Ms. Barakzai was one of the attorneys who halted investigations by the U.S. Department of Education's Civil Rights Office regarding complaints of anti-Semitism at three California universities, including Berkeley. Her biography on the website of Asian Americans Advancing Justice indicates that she has experience working with law firms Boies, Schiller, and Flexner on multi-billion dollar litigation. This Afghan-American attorney has also worked as a law clerk for William F. Fletcher, a judge on a California appellate court. Additionally, this advisor to Kamala Harris has teaching experience at Stanford Law School.

UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, has warned that the interim government in Afghanistan is endangering the future of a generation by depriving 1.4 million girls of education. In a statement, the organization reported that since the current government came to power, the number of boys and girls enrolled in primary education has decreased by 1.1 million. The current government took power on August 15, 2021, and banned education for girls in secondary and higher education the following year. UNESCO stated: "UNESCO is concerned about the harmful consequences of the rising dropout rates, which could lead to an increase in child labor and early marriage." The UN agency warned: "In just three years, the current authorities have reversed nearly two decades of sustainable educational progress in Afghanistan, and the future of an entire generation is now at risk." According to UNESCO statistics, 2.5 million girls are currently deprived of education, representing 80% of school-age girls in Afghanistan. The UN agency emphasized that since 2021, the leaders of the current government have "deliberately" denied at least 1.4 million girls access to secondary education. It should be noted that Afghanistan is the only country in the world where girls and women are not allowed to attend secondary schools and universities. No country has recognized the current government as the official government of Afghanistan. Although some UN officials have referred to the restrictions imposed by the current government on women as "gender apartheid," the organization has yet to accept requests to recognize the government's anti-women policies as "gender apartheid."