The Enduring Shadow Of The Taliban In Afghanistan

The Taliban's influence in Afghanistan has been far-reaching since the group returned to power in 2021. The Taliban's rule has been characterised by a crackdown on women's rights, a struggling economy, and human rights violations.

The Taliban has imposed a strict interpretation of Islamic law, restricting women's access to education, employment, and the public sphere. The economy has also floundered under Taliban rule, with malnutrition soaring and hundreds of thousands of jobs lost.

In addition, the Taliban has been accused of human rights violations, including the repression of freedom of expression, freedom of religion, and freedom of peaceful assembly. The group has also been accused of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity, including enforced disappearances, unlawful detentions, arbitrary arrests, torture, and other forms of ill-treatment.

The Taliban's influence in Afghanistan has had a devastating impact on the country and its people, with the UN declaring that Afghanistan is facing the largest humanitarian crisis in the world.

The Taliban's influence on women's rights in Afghanistan

Education: The Taliban have consistently sought to deny women and girls access to education. During their first rule, they banned girls from receiving an education after the age of eight. Women who sought an education did so in underground schools, risking execution if discovered. After their return to power in 2021, the Taliban initially allowed gender-segregated classrooms in universities but soon prevented most teenage girls from returning to secondary school. The right to education for girls and women was included in the 2003 Afghan constitution, but in practice, girls' schools continue to face threats and attacks.

Employment: The Taliban have repeatedly banned women from working outside the home. Their first edict on women's employment came in 1997, banning women from working in public places. This had a particularly negative impact on the health sector, where gender segregation had already been imposed. After international pressure, the Taliban allowed some widows to work in the health sector, but most lacked the necessary skills or education. The ban on women's employment also contributed to a shortage of teachers, negatively impacting boys' education.

Mobility and Freedom of Movement: The Taliban have imposed severe restrictions on women's freedom of movement. Women were not allowed to leave their homes without a male chaperone and were prohibited from travelling more than 45 miles without a close male relative. They were banned from riding bicycles or motorcycles, even with male relatives, and segregated bus services were introduced. These restrictions effectively placed women under virtual house arrest, particularly those who could not afford a male chaperone or a burqa, the full-body covering mandated by the Taliban.

Clothing and Appearance: The Taliban have strictly regulated women's clothing and appearance. In 1996, they mandated that women wear the burqa in public at all times. Women were also forbidden to wear high-heeled shoes and were not allowed to speak loudly in public. More recently, in 2022, the Taliban ordered women to cover their faces in public and banned them from wearing nail varnish and cosmetics.

Healthcare: The Taliban's policies have negatively impacted women's access to healthcare. Women were not allowed to be treated by male doctors unless accompanied by a male chaperone. This led to illnesses going untreated, particularly in cases where female healthcare providers were unavailable. The ban on female employment also reduced the number of female healthcare professionals, further limiting women's access to healthcare. Maternal healthcare conditions declined, and infant and child mortality rates increased.

Social and Cultural Participation: The Taliban have sought to erase women from public and social life. They have banned women from appearing on television and radio and prohibited their presence at public gatherings. Women have also been banned from entering parks, gyms, and public baths. Place names that included the word "women" were modified to remove the word.

Violence and Punishment: Women who violated the Taliban's rules faced severe punishments, including imprisonment, torture, and death. Public flogging and execution were common for violations of Taliban laws. Women were often publicly beaten by the religious police for a broad range of offences, such as exposing their ankles, laughing loudly, or wearing the wrong type of burqa. The Taliban also permitted domestic violence and even encouraged it in some cases, allowing men to commit these acts with impunity.

The Taliban's relationship with al-Qaeda

The Taliban and al-Qaeda have a long history of cooperation. The Taliban provided al-Qaeda with a safe haven in Afghanistan, and al-Qaeda, in turn, supported the Taliban with manpower and resources during the Taliban's civil war against the Northern Alliance.

The Taliban and al-Qaeda's relationship is also ideological. Al-Qaeda's messaging and political direction indicate that it sees the Taliban as an important partner in its stewardship of global jihad. Al-Qaeda has emphasized Afghanistan as the "seat of the anticipated caliphate" and the Taliban chief as the "caliph-in-waiting".

The Taliban's political project is built around the centrality of jihad and its status as guardians of Islam in Afghan society. Al-Qaeda subordinates itself to the Taliban, giving its top leader the status of final arbiter.

The Taliban and al-Qaeda's relationship is also familial. Al-Qaeda militants have married into Pashtun tribes in Taliban-controlled areas, and now, three decades later, some second-generation children from these marriages have assumed positions in both al-Qaeda and the Taliban.

The Taliban has also been reluctant to enter into a confrontation with al-Qaeda, which could cause resentment within the insurgency. The Taliban leadership has appeared to hedge its bets when it comes to al-Qaeda, and it can curtail its relationship with the group if it chooses to.

The Taliban's impact on the economy

The Taliban's impact on Afghanistan's economy has been overwhelmingly negative. The country's economy has floundered under Taliban rule, with malnutrition soaring and hundreds of thousands of jobs lost. Most women have been banned from working, and the Taliban's harsh interpretation of Islamic law has restricted press freedoms and human rights.

The Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan has had severe economic consequences for neighbouring Iran. The two countries are more economically interconnected than is widely appreciated, and the strengthening of these ties has been largely unplanned, caused by Iran's search for economic opportunities in the region as US sanctions cut it off from the global economy.

The Taliban's mismanagement of the country's human resources, namely its subjugation of women, is a cloud over Afghanistan's prospects. The UN Development Program (UNDP) has estimated that restricting women's employment could cost up to 5% of Afghanistan's gross domestic product (GDP).

The World Bank has also noted the negative impact of the Taliban's rule on Afghanistan's economy. In 2021, Afghanistan's GDP contracted by 20.7%, followed by a further contraction of 6.2% in 2022. The proportion of households that did not have enough income to meet basic food needs more than doubled from 16% to 36% during this period.

The Taliban's rule has also disrupted and reduced foreign trade with Afghanistan, particularly with Iran. Afghanistan has been an important source of hard currency for Iran, whose foreign reserves remain frozen due to US sanctions. The end of dollar deliveries to Afghanistan will also create an inflationary environment, as prices rise, and Afghan businesses and households will need to curtail demand, including for Iranian goods.

The long-term prospects for Afghanistan's economy remain uncertain under Taliban rule. The country faces the threat of stagnation until at least 2025, with the absence of GDP growth and declining external financing avenues. Structural deficiencies in the private sector, coupled with waning international support for essential services, are expected to impede any appreciable economic progress.

Afghanistan's economic future depends on a significant shift from reliance on international aid and consumption-driven growth to a more resilient, private sector-led economy that capitalizes on the country's inherent strengths, particularly in the agricultural and extractive sectors.

The Taliban's effect on freedom of expression

The Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan has had a devastating effect on the country's journalists and press freedom. In the first three months of their rule, 43% of media outlets were forced to close, and 84% of women journalists lost their jobs. The Taliban also banned women from appearing in public without a male chaperone, further restricting their ability to work.

Journalists in Afghanistan face physical violence, arbitrary detention, and torture at the hands of the Taliban. They are also subject to online harassment, threats, and cyber-attacks. As a result, many have fled the country, and those who remain often practice self-censorship to avoid reprisals.

The Taliban exerts control over the media through intimidation, detention, and the dissemination of propaganda. They monitor journalists' WhatsApp groups and discussions and instruct them on how to adhere to their media policies. The Taliban also restrict media outlets' coverage of certain topics and punish those who break their rules.

The situation has led to a chilling effect on freedom of expression in the country, with critical voices being stifled and human rights defenders facing violence, intimidation, and surveillance.

The Taliban's influence on the healthcare system

One of the most significant impacts of the Taliban's rule has been the restriction on women's freedom of movement and access to education and employment. This has had a severe effect on the healthcare sector, as women are not allowed to travel without a male chaperone (mahram), which has impeded their access to health services. The Taliban have also banned girls from attending secondary school and university, including medical training programs, which has exacerbated the existing shortage of female healthcare professionals, particularly in rural areas. This ban on education will have long-term consequences, as girls deprived of education today would be potential healthcare workers in the future.

The Taliban's restrictions on female employment have further exacerbated the issue. Women have been banned from most civil service jobs and from working with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and the United Nations, except for specific positions in healthcare and education. This has not only violated their rights to an adequate standard of living but has also deprived the healthcare sector of a significant portion of its workforce.

The lack of female healthcare providers is especially detrimental in a country like Afghanistan, where societal norms dictate that only women can provide medical care for other women. This restriction has led to a situation where many women, especially in rural areas, struggle to access healthcare services, as male doctors are not allowed to treat female patients.

The Taliban's policies have also disrupted the country's already limited health infrastructure. The group has shown a preference for investing in tertiary care hospitals rather than primary care clinics or community-based care. This has resulted in a lack of coordination between different healthcare providers and has hindered the development of a comprehensive healthcare system.

Economic instability and a lack of international support have further deteriorated the situation. The Taliban's rule has led to economic collapse, with extreme poverty affecting a majority of the population. This has made it difficult for Afghans to afford medical expenses, and the lack of international aid has left the country's health system underfunded and struggling to provide basic services.

The impact of the Taliban's influence on the healthcare system is evident in various health indicators. Maternal and infant mortality rates, which had shown a declining trend over the years, are at risk of increasing again due to limited access to healthcare services and a shortage of skilled healthcare workers. Infectious diseases, poor maternal and neonatal health, malnutrition, and a rise in non-communicable diseases continue to cause substantial mortality and morbidity in the country.

Overall, the Taliban's influence on the healthcare system in Afghanistan has been detrimental, with their policies and actions hindering progress and disrupting the country's fragile health infrastructure. The restrictions on women's education and employment have particularly exacerbated the issues, and the long-term consequences of these policies will continue to affect the country's healthcare system for years to come.

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