AWCSWO: Taliban is responsible for the rise of sex work in Afghanistan

A new report by the Afghan human rights organization Afghanistan Women’s and Children’s Social Welfare Organization (AWCSWO) has revealed that women arrested by the Taliban on charges of "moral corruption" or "violating Sharia law" are often subjected to sexual assault and abuse in detention centers.

Published on Saturday, March 2, the report highlights that the Taliban are not only a key factor in the expansion and persistence of sex work in Afghanistan but have also transformed it into more dangerous forms, including systematic trafficking, forced marriages, and hidden exploitation.

According to the findings, women taken into custody are frequently forced to provide sexual services to Taliban officials, particularly local commanders. The report further states that in recent years, human trafficking involving Afghan women and girls has increased in border regions, with many of these trafficking networks allegedly operating with the support and involvement of senior Taliban officials. These networks, the report claims, serve as a significant financial resource for the Taliban.

AWCSWO notes that many women and girls, particularly in cities such as Jalalabad, Kandahar, Herat, Bamiyan, and Kabul, fall victim to informal sexual exploitation networks. In Taliban-controlled areas, young women and widows are often pressured into marrying Taliban fighters. These marriages, the report asserts, amount to a form of sexual slavery, with some women later being sold or abandoned without any support.

Despite officially banning sex work under Sharia and Afghan law, the Taliban have used this prohibition as a tool to control and suppress women, the report argues. It further claims that some Taliban members themselves exploit these women sexually and subject them to degrading conditions.

The findings indicate that under Taliban rule, sex work in Afghanistan has not diminished but has instead become more complex and hidden. The lack of basic rights and legal protection for women has indirectly contributed to the expansion of sexual exploitation.

AWCSWO has called for urgent international intervention to protect Afghan women, thoroughly document these abuses, implement practical measures, and put an end to the systematic exploitation of women in the country.