The Plight Of Afghan Women: A Deadly Silence

Since the Taliban took power in Afghanistan in August 2021, there has been a sharp rise in the number of women being killed or wounded in the country. The Taliban's increasingly repressive policies have severely restricted women's freedom of movement, education, and employment, and have contributed to a surge in child, early, and forced marriages. Women who peacefully protest these oppressive rules have been harassed, threatened, arrested, forcibly disappeared, detained, and tortured. The Taliban's treatment of women may amount to gender apartheid, according to the United Nations.

Women's rights to education, work and free movement being violated

Since the Taliban took power in Afghanistan in August 2021, women's rights to education, work and free movement have been violated.

Right to Education

In December 2022, the Taliban banned women from attending university, affecting over 100,000 female students. This was in addition to the ban on girls attending secondary school, which was implemented in September 2021. The Taliban has also shut down beauty salons and banned women from accessing gyms and parks.

The right to education for women and girls in Afghanistan has been hard-won. Between 2001 and 2018, the country saw a tenfold increase in enrolment at all education levels, with the number of girls in primary school increasing from almost zero in 2001 to 2.5 million in 2018. By August 2021, 40% of students in primary education were girls. Literacy rates for women doubled during this period, from 17% in 2001 to nearly 30% for all age groups combined.

Right to Work

The Taliban has also severely restricted women's right to work. Most female government employees have been told to stay at home, except those working in certain sectors such as health and education. In the private sector, many women have been dismissed from high-level positions. Women who have continued working face extreme difficulty due to Taliban restrictions on their clothing and behaviour, such as the requirement for female doctors to avoid treating male patients or interacting with male colleagues.

Right to Free Movement

The Taliban has also imposed strict restrictions on women's freedom of movement. Women are not allowed to move around in public spaces unless they are accompanied by a male relative (known as a 'mahram'). In general, they are only allowed to leave their homes for urgent matters and must wear full veils if they do so.

Impact of Violations

The impact of these violations on the lives of Afghan women and girls is devastating. As one Afghan woman put it, it is "death in slow motion". The lack of access to education means girls face a higher risk of being exploited, maltreated or married off early. 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 for women in Afghanistan is a human rights crisis, and the international community has a responsibility to act. As Agnes Callamard of Amnesty International states, "If the international community fails to act, it will be abandoning women and girls in Afghanistan, and undermining human rights everywhere."

Women being killed for disobeying Taliban rules

Since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in August 2021, they have decimated the rights of women and girls. The Taliban have violated women's rights to education, work, and free movement, and have contributed to a surge in child, early, and forced marriages. Women who have peacefully protested against these restrictions have been harassed, threatened, arrested, forcibly disappeared, detained, and tortured.

The Taliban's treatment of women may amount to gender apartheid, according to the United Nations. Women in Afghanistan are mandated to wear the burqa at all times in public and are not allowed to work or be educated after the age of eight. They are not allowed to be treated by male doctors unless accompanied by a male chaperone, and they face public flogging and execution for violations of the Taliban's laws.

The Taliban's rules have made it difficult for women to move around freely and have created difficulties for those who cannot afford a burqa or do not have a male chaperone. The Taliban have also enforced increasingly strict guidelines on permissible clothing for women, including the requirement to cover themselves from head to toe.

Women who disobey the Taliban's rules have been subject to verbal abuse, beatings, and whippings. There have also been reports of women being stoned to death for breaking the rules. For example, women who are accused of having sex outside of marriage are killed by stoning. In addition, women who let their ankles show are whipped in public.

The Taliban's edicts have impoverished the country and have limited the delivery of humanitarian aid. The United Nations thinks the share of households for whom humanitarian assistance is the main source of income has increased six-fold since 2021. As a result, across the country, about 20 million people are at risk of severe hunger.

The Taliban's rules have also had a detrimental effect on the mental health of women in Afghanistan. A 1998 survey of 160 women residents or former residents of Kabul found that 97% showed signs of serious depression and 71% reported a decline in their physical well-being.

Women being arbitrarily detained for minor violations of Taliban rules

Since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in August 2021, they have decimated the rights of women and girls in the country. The Taliban have violated women's rights to education, work, and free movement. They have also demolished the system of protection for women and girls fleeing domestic violence, arbitrarily detained them for minor violations of discriminatory rules, and contributed to a surge in child, early, and forced marriages.

According to whistleblowers from Taliban-run detention centres, the Taliban has increasingly arrested and detained women and girls for minor violations of their discriminatory policies. These include the rule against appearing in public without a male chaperone, or "mahram", or with a man who is not a mahram. Those arrested are usually charged with the ambiguous 'crime' of 'moral corruption'.

One university student who was detained in 2022 told Amnesty International that she was threatened and beaten after being arrested on charges related to the mahram restrictions. She said that Taliban members:

> started giving me electric shocks... on my shoulder, face, neck, everywhere they could... They were calling me a prostitute [and] a bitch... The one holding the gun said, 'I will kill you, and no one will be able to find your body.'

The whistleblowers also said that survivors of gender-based violence who previously lived in shelters or who attempted to flee abuse after the Taliban's takeover are now being imprisoned in detention centres. One staff member said:

> Some came by approaching the Taliban themselves, and asking, 'Where is your shelter?' [The Taliban] had no place, so they ended up in prison.

These women and girls have been subjected to solitary confinement, beatings, and other forms of torture, and forced to endure inhumane conditions, including overcrowding and inadequate access to food, water, and heating in the winter months.

Women being denied access to healthcare

Women in Afghanistan are being denied access to healthcare in several ways.

Firstly, the Taliban's restrictions on movement and their requirement for women to have a male chaperone, or "mahram", when leaving the house have made it difficult for women to access healthcare facilities. In some cases, women have been prevented from entering health centres without a mahram, and those who do manage to access healthcare may be reluctant to discuss certain health issues, such as reproductive care, in front of a male guardian.

The Taliban's crackdown on women's rights has also impacted their ability to work in healthcare. Women have been ordered to stop treating male patients and interacting with male colleagues, and some have been harassed, threatened, or assaulted by Taliban members. This has led to a shortage of female healthcare professionals, which is particularly detrimental as many women prefer to be treated by female doctors.

In addition, the Taliban's policies have disrupted the country's healthcare system, causing a lack of medical supplies and staff, and limiting the availability of essential services such as reproductive care, cancer treatment, and mental health support. The economic crisis caused by the Taliban's rule has also made it difficult for many women to afford healthcare.

Furthermore, the Taliban's ban on education for women and girls will have long-term impacts on their access to healthcare. With fewer women graduating from high school and entering training programs, there will be a shortage of female healthcare professionals in the future.

Finally, the Taliban's restrictions on NGOs have disrupted the provision of humanitarian aid, including healthcare services, to women and girls in Afghanistan.

Women being forced into child, early and forced marriages

Since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in August 2021, there has been a surge in child, early, and forced marriages in the country. This is due to a combination of factors, including the economic and humanitarian crisis, lack of educational and professional opportunities for women and girls, and families' fears of their daughters being forced to marry Taliban members.

The economic crisis has led families to marry off their daughters at young ages in exchange for a "bride price" to sustain themselves financially. For instance, Khorsheed, a 35-year-old woman from central Afghanistan, said she was forced to marry off her 13-year-old daughter to a 30-year-old neighbour for 60,000 Afghanis (around $670) due to financial difficulties. She also considered marrying off her 10-year-old daughter but was reluctant as she hoped her daughter could provide for the family in the future.

The lack of access to education and professional opportunities has also contributed to the increase in child, early, and forced marriages. With girls being denied the right to education and work, families feel they have no choice but to marry them off. This is further exacerbated by the Taliban's policies and restrictions on women's rights, which have systematically discriminated against them and limited their freedom and agency.

Furthermore, there are reports of Taliban members forcing women and girls to marry them. The Taliban's power and influence make it difficult for families to refuse, and those who try to escape face threats, kidnappings, and even death. The fear of their daughters being forced into marriages with Taliban fighters has led some parents to arrange marriages with other men as a way to protect them.

The rise in child, early, and forced marriages has severe consequences for the girls and women involved. It results in a loss of educational and economic opportunities, restricts their freedom and autonomy, and increases the risk of domestic violence and poor mental health. It also has a negative impact on their health, with young girls who marry and have children at an early age facing adverse effects on their well-being.

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