An investigation by Zan Times journalists has documented 231 cases of women killed across 10 of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces since the Taliban took power in August 2021. The cases include 174 deaths reported by local media and 57 documented directly by the journalists.
The investigation found that 53 deaths were officially declared suicides, while only 58 arrests were recorded. It says many women were killed at home by husbands or relatives and that suspects were often released, leaving families with little hope of accountability.
At a glance:
- 231 cases documented since August 2021
- 53 deaths officially classified as suicide
- 58 arrests recorded across the cases
- 165 victims were housewives without independent income
A death disputed by Liza Shams’s family
Liza Shams, 33, died at a Kabul hospital about an hour after arriving on 1 February. Her father said neighbours heard screaming and that Liza had told him by video call that her husband had beaten her again. Voice recordings made before her death described repeated violence, including an assault while she was pregnant.
Her forensic report listed rat-poison ingestion as the likely cause of death and no autopsy was performed. The report also documented extensive bruising and facial injuries; a CT scan described multiple fractures consistent with severe blunt-force trauma. Her in-laws said she had taken her own life, while her father believes she was murdered.
What the investigation recorded
The documented victims ranged from five to 65 years old. The highest recorded totals were in Jawzjan, with 36 cases; Herat, with 32; Badakhshan, with 28; and Ghazni, with 26. Seven in 10 victims—165 of 231—were housewives without independent income or institutional standing to pursue a domestic violence case.
Only one in four cases resulted in an arrest, and suspects were sometimes released as soon as the following day. Zan Times said the figures are a snapshot rather than Afghanistan’s total number of femicides because many cases never enter official records and families may fear speaking to reporters.
Legal protections and reporting systems weakened
The Taliban does not collect annual data on women killed, and the attorney general’s office that previously collated such information was abolished in 2023. After August 2021, the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, the special prosecutor’s office for violence against women and the country’s shelter network were dissolved, according to the investigation.
The new criminal code caps a husband’s punishment for beating his wife to visible injury, such as a fracture or wounds, at 15 days in prison. By contrast, a wife and her family can face three months in prison if she leaves for her family’s home without her husband’s permission and they do not return her when asked.
Families can face danger when they intervene
In Kandahar, a 14-year-old girl who fled a violent marriage was shot by her husband when she refused to return. Her younger brother was also shot and died a week later; the husband, a serving Taliban member, was never arrested, although the Taliban opened a file.
In Sar-e-Pol, a local Taliban official allegedly shot 16-year-old Sara and her mother, Chaman, after forcing an engagement on Sara. The official was captured after a manhunt and remains in jail. The investigation also documented families facing threats after trying to seek information or justice.
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