The supreme leader of Afghanistan Islamic Emirates, Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada, has issued a special decree on women's rights.

Akhunzada directed all relevant organizations and tribal elders to take serious action to enforce women's rights in the country.

The full text of the decree is as follow:

In the name of Allah, the most compassionate, the most merciful

1-Adult women's consent is necessary during the marriage. No one can force women to marry by coercion or pressure.

2-Woman is not a property, but a noble and free human being; no one can give her to anyone in exchange for peace deal and or to end animosity.

3-After the death of the husband, no one can marry a widow by force including her relatives. A widow has the right whether to marry and or to determine/choose her future.         

4-It is the sharia right of a widow, to obtain ‘Mahar’ from her new husband.

5-A widow has heritage right and fixed share in the property of her husband, children, father and relatives, and no one can deprive a widow of her right.

6 -Those with multi marriages (more than one wife) are obliged to give rights to all women in accordance with sharia law, and maintain justice between them.

For proper implementation of this decree, relevant organizations are instructed to do the following acts:

A) The Ministry of Hajj and Religious Affairs is instructed to encourage scholars to give awareness to the people about women's rights through their letters and preaching that oppressing woman and not giving them their rights will cause Allah's dissatisfaction and his torment and anger.

B) The Ministry of Information and Culture is instructed, to publish articles related to women's rights through its means in writing and audio, as well as, encourage writers and activists to publish useful articles on women’s rights in order to attract attention of Islamic scholars and the people about women Sharia rights; to prevent the ongoing oppression.

C) The Supreme Court must issue instructions to all courts to consider applications for women’s rights, especially widows’ rights and their oppression in a proper and principled manner, in order not to disappoint women of getting rid of oppression and obtaining their Sharia rights.

D) Governors and district governors must cooperate comprehensively with the named ministries and the Supreme Court in the implementation of this decree. (ILKHA)