Taliban release decree saying women should not be forced into marriage
The Hindu
It set out the rules governing marriage and property for women, stating women should not be forced into marriage and widows should have share in their late husband's property.
Afghanistan's Taliban government on Friday released a decree on women's rights which said women should not be considered "property" and must consent to marriage but failed to mention female access to education or work outside the home.
The Taliban has been under pressure from the international community, who have mostly frozen funds for Afghanistan, to commit to upholding women's rights since the hardline Islamist group took over the country on August 15.
"A woman is not a property, but a noble and free human being; no one can give her to anyone in exchange for peace...or to end animosity," the Taliban decree, released by spokesman Zabihillah Muhajid, said.