The Plight Of Afghan Women: A Struggle For Basic Rights And Freedom

Women's rights in Afghanistan are in a fragile state. After the Taliban took power in 2021, the future of women's rights in the country is uncertain. During their previous rule from 1996 to 2001, the Taliban imposed severe restrictions on women, including limiting their access to education and employment and confining them to their homes unless accompanied by a male chaperone. Despite initial promises to respect women's rights within the framework of Sharia law, the Taliban have issued decrees that restrict women's freedom of expression, liberty, work, and education. Women's rights activists report detentions, child marriages, forced marriages, and rapes. The lack of rights for women has become state policy, with the Taliban excluding women from public life and drastically reducing their access to civil rights and liberties. Afghan women continue to fight for their rights and against the fundamentalism of the Taliban, despite facing severe reprisals. The future of women's rights in Afghanistan remains uncertain, with the Taliban's interpretation of Islamic law and their treatment of women yet to be fully revealed.

Women's rights under the Taliban

Women's rights in Afghanistan have been a cause for concern for decades, with the country being occupied by Soviet troops and US-led international forces, and in the years in between being ruled by militant groups, including the infamously oppressive Taliban.

Under the Taliban, women and girls are discriminated against in many ways. They are banned from:

• Going to school, studying, or holding certain jobs
• Leaving the house without a male chaperone
• Showing their skin in public
• Accessing healthcare delivered by men
• Being involved in politics or speaking publicly

Women are essentially invisible in public life and are imprisoned in their homes. In Kabul, residents were ordered to cover their ground and first-floor windows so women inside could not be seen from the street. If a woman left the house, it was in a full-body veil (burqa), accompanied by a male relative; she had no independence.

Men could commit domestic violence, injure and even kill their female family members with impunity. Women who suffered rape and other forms of violence could end up being accused of 'moral crimes' and adultery and risk being stoned to death as punishment.

The Taliban's interpretation of Islamic Sharia law also means that women must wear a burqa and are subject to a strict dress code. They are not permitted to travel more than 75km without a male chaperone and are compelled to stay at home.

Women's rights activists are facing serious threats, and those who take to the streets to protest for their rights are being threatened, arrested, and tortured. There have been reports of detentions, child marriages, forced marriages, and rapes.

The Taliban have also banned women from working for the UN and NGOs and restricted them from entering public parks and participating in sports. They have invalidated thousands of divorce cases and closed beauty salons, leaving around 60,000 women without an income to support their families.

The Taliban's return to power has also made members of some ethnic and religious minorities feel more vulnerable to threats. The healthcare worker said a colleague who is Shia was threatened by a patient's family, who said:

> 'We will kill you, terrorize you, or get you fired from your job. They warned my colleague that they know her address.'

International Response

International organizations have sounded the alarm about the rollback of women's rights in the country, with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres saying he is "horrified" about restrictions in Taliban-controlled areas.

The US and its coalition allies have a moral obligation to those they left behind in Afghanistan. Getting those under Taliban threat out should be an international priority.

Women's rights and US intervention

Women's rights in Afghanistan have been a point of contention for decades, with the country's tumultuous political landscape seeing the implementation and removal of various rights. The US intervention in Afghanistan has played a significant role in shaping the state of women's rights in the country.

US Intervention and Women's Rights

The US-led invasion of Afghanistan following the 9/11 attacks was justified by world leaders, including former First Lady Laura Bush, as a means to improve the situation for Afghan women and combat the Taliban's oppressive regime. The need to protect Afghan women's rights was a rallying cry for war, with the fight against terrorism framed as a fight for women's rights and dignity. This narrative perpetuated racist stereotypes of Afghan women as victims in need of saving by Western powers.

The US intervention did bring about some positive changes for women's rights in Afghanistan. Schools opened their doors to girls, and women entered public life, politics, law, government, and media. Women's rights were enshrined in the 2004 constitution, and Afghanistan adopted the Elimination of Violence Against Women (EVAW) law in 2009. However, these gains were uneven and often tenuous due to the ongoing conflict and instability in the country.

Despite the presence of US and international forces, discrimination against women remained prevalent in Afghan society. In 2011, Afghanistan was named the most dangerous country for women. Additionally, there were signs that the US commitment to women's rights was waning. For example, efforts to support women's rights were reportedly stripped from US programs, and funding for aid to Afghanistan decreased significantly between 2010 and 2021.

Taliban Rule and Women's Rights

The Taliban's return to power in 2021 marked a significant setback for women's rights in Afghanistan. Once again, women and girls have been erased from public and social life, with restrictions on their education, employment, and freedom of movement. They have been banned from attending secondary school and university, working in certain sectors, appearing on TV, or even visiting public parks. Women have also been excluded from political office and the judiciary.

The Taliban's restrictions on women's rights have been condemned internationally, with human rights organizations and the UN calling for the protection of Afghan women and girls. However, the effectiveness of these calls for action remains uncertain, and the future of women's rights in Afghanistan is highly uncertain.

Women's rights and international aid

Women's rights in Afghanistan are not respected. The Taliban's takeover in 2021 has resulted in women and girls facing severe restrictions on their freedom of movement, education, employment, and expression. The situation is particularly dire for women and girls, with the Taliban erasing them from public arenas and enforcing public executions and corporal punishment. International aid is crucial for addressing the humanitarian crisis and upholding women's rights in Afghanistan.

The United States, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), has committed $30 million to support gender equality and women's empowerment in Afghanistan. This funding will be programmed through the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women). The "Enabling Essential Services for Afghan Women and Girls" activity will increase access to social protection services, provide resources for women-led civil society organizations, and promote economic empowerment through skills development and entrepreneurship support.

Women for Afghan Women (WAW) is another organization that provides humanitarian aid, logistics support, and protection services to vulnerable populations, with a focus on Afghan women and children. Despite the challenges posed by the Taliban regime, WAW has adapted its operations and continues to work tirelessly to support those in need.

Additionally, the international community has a responsibility to promote and protect women's rights in Afghanistan. The Taliban is obliged to respect women's rights under international law, having ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) in 2003. The international community should exert leverage through targeted sanctions, aid conditionality, and political pressure to hold the Taliban accountable for upholding women's rights.

Furthermore, it is crucial to support and protect women's rights defenders and activists in Afghanistan, who face threats, intimidation, and violence for their work. The international community should provide asylum visas and economic and political support to these courageous individuals and organizations standing up for women's rights.

While the future of women's rights in Afghanistan remains uncertain, the international community must remain committed to upholding gender equality and empowering Afghan women and girls.

Women's rights and education

Afghanistan is the only country in the world that forbids girls to go to school. The Taliban's return to power in 2021 has resulted in the loss of 20 years of progress for women's rights in the country.

In 1919, Afghan women were granted the right to vote, and in 1920, the first school for girls opened. However, after the Mujahideen and the Taliban gained victory over the Soviet Union in the 1980s, severe restrictions were placed on women's rights. The Taliban's interpretation of Sharia law has been used to justify these restrictions.

Under the Taliban, women and girls have been excluded from public life and their civil rights and liberties have been cut. Women are not allowed to move around in public spaces unless they are accompanied by a male relative, and they must wear full veils when outside. Women who do not follow this dress code put their male relatives at risk of imprisonment.

The Taliban has banned girls from attending secondary school and forbidden women from attending universities. They have also barred women from working, except in a few limited circumstances. As a result, Afghanistan is the only country in the world where women and girls' access to education has been suspended.

The consequences of these restrictions are severe. With girls blocked from continuing their education, many families are marrying off their teenage daughters. Women are being deprived of their dignity, rights, and status in society. If the ban on girls' education becomes permanent, it will eventually exclude women from all sectors of society.

Despite the Taliban's restrictions, Afghan women continue to fight for their rights. They have repeatedly held demonstrations demanding education, work, justice, and peace, even in the face of brutality, imprisonment, and abductions by the regime.

International Response

The international community has condemned the Taliban's actions and called for the restoration of women's rights in Afghanistan. The United States, in particular, has a responsibility to protect women's rights in Afghanistan, having used this cause to justify its invasion of the country. However, the effectiveness of international efforts to promote women's rights in Afghanistan remains uncertain.

Women's rights and employment

Women's rights in Afghanistan have been a cause for concern for decades, with the country's women facing restrictions on their freedom of movement, restrictive dress codes, and a lack of protection from violence and forced marriage. The situation has only worsened since the Taliban took power in 2021, with women being denied their fundamental rights to education, work, and freedom of movement.

Historical Context

During the 1990s, the Taliban imposed several restrictions on women, including mandatory burqa coverings and limiting their access to healthcare, education, and jobs. Women were prohibited from appearing in public without a male chaperone and were confined to their homes. Despite this, women's rights activists managed to achieve significant legislative progress after the intervention of NATO forces in 2001. However, even before the Taliban's return to power in 2021, many of these legally sanctioned rights were never fully implemented due to patriarchal structures, religious fundamentalism, and corruption.

Current Situation

Since the Taliban's return to power, women's rights have once again been severely restricted. Women have been excluded from public life and their access to civil rights and liberties has been drastically reduced. They are not allowed to move around in public spaces without a male relative and must wear full veils if they do. The Taliban have also banned women from working in certain sectors, such as the UN and other humanitarian projects, and have restricted their participation in the judicial system. Additionally, girls have been banned from attending secondary schools, and women from tertiary education.

The loss of employment for women has pushed many families deeper into poverty, with increasing numbers of Afghans begging on the streets to survive. The situation is particularly dire for women-led households and families with many children. The humanitarian crisis has also led to an increase in forced and child marriages, as parents marry off their young daughters to avoid starvation or to protect them from being forced to marry Taliban fighters.

Despite these setbacks, Afghan women continue to fight for their rights and against the fundamentalism of the Taliban, even in the face of severe reprisals. Women's rights activists and organizations are working to provide support and safe spaces for women and girls, despite facing serious threats themselves.

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