Beauticians put makeup on customers at Ms. Sadat's Beauty Salon in Kabul, Afghanistan, April 25, 2021. (PHOTO / AP)

UNITED NATIONS - The UN mission in Afghanistan has reported that the Taliban is prohibiting unmarried women or those without a male chaperone from working or accessing services, a UN spokesperson said Monday.

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The allegations made by the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) are detailed in a recent update regarding the human rights situation in Afghanistan. This update, which covers the period from October to December 2023, was announced by Stephane Dujarric, the chief spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

Early last month, those officials advised an unmarried female staff member at a healthcare facility to get married or risk losing her job, saying that it was inappropriate for an unmarried woman to work

"Our colleagues in Kabul note that the de facto authorities (Taliban) continue to enforce and promulgate restrictions on women's rights to work, education and freedom of movement," Dujarric said, adding it was officials of the Department for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice (DPVPV) who were impeding the women's rights.

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Early last month, those officials advised an unmarried female staff member at a healthcare facility to get married or risk losing her job, saying that it was inappropriate for an unmarried woman to work.

"The update also noted that the de facto authorities continue to implement corporal punishment in public places, usually announcing the punishments, and the crimes for which they were implemented, on social media," the spokesman said.

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For example, the report cited an Oct 1, 2023 incident where "three female health workers were detained because they were going to work without a mahram (male escort). The women were released after their families signed a written guarantee that they would not repeat the act."

The UNAMA report found that since early last month, in Paktya province, "women without mahram were prevented by de facto DPVPV officials from accessing health facilities."