Omari Gates
Afghanistan is a theocracy led by the Taliban, with political power concentrated in the hands of a supreme leader and his clerical advisors. The country is officially called the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan and is governed by Sharia law and Pashtunwali, which the Taliban enforces strictly through extensive social and cultural policy.
The Taliban's second takeover of Afghanistan in 2021 has resulted in the gradual exclusion of women from public life, with restrictions on their presence in media and education, as well as their employment opportunities. The Taliban has also imposed a strict interpretation of Sharia law, with public punishments such as executions, amputations, and flogging.
The current theocratic government of Afghanistan has faced criticism from international observers for totalitarianism, systemic human rights violations, lack of transparency, and exclusion of women and minorities.
What You'll Learn
The Taliban's interpretation of Sharia law
Under the Taliban's interpretation of Sharia law, women are barred from working and receiving an education. They are required to wear a burka when leaving the house and must be accompanied by a male relative. High-heeled shoes are banned, and windows on the ground and first floors of houses must be painted over. Women are also forbidden from going on their balconies. Those who disobey the rules are flogged in the street or in stadiums and town halls.
The Taliban's interpretation and application of Sharia law vary among provinces, depending on the local ethnic group, the Taliban presence, and the authorities' desire to avoid antagonizing the population.
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The Taliban's treatment of women
Since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in August 2021, they have systematically excluded women and girls from public life. The Taliban's treatment of women has been described as "gender apartheid", with women facing severe discrimination and persecution.
Education
The Taliban have banned girls from attending school past the sixth grade and barred women from working in most jobs outside the home. They have also banned women from attending university, with the exception of some provinces. Women were previously allowed to attend universities, albeit in gender-segregated classrooms, and under the condition that they followed "Islamic standards". However, in September 2021, the Taliban restricted access to education for teenage girls by only allowing boys to resume schooling.
Employment
The Taliban have prohibited women from working in most sectors beyond health and education. They have also banned women from working for international organisations or non-governmental organisations (NGOs), as well as working on women's empowerment projects. In December 2022, the Taliban extended the ban on university education for women and barred them from working in NGOs.
Freedom of Movement
The Taliban have imposed restrictions on women's movement, including banning them from travelling outside the country without a male relative or mahram. Women are also banned from travelling more than 45 miles (70km) without a close male relative.
Dress Code
The Taliban have mandated that women must wear a burqa or Arab-style hijab in public. In May 2022, the Taliban ordered TV presenters to cover their faces on air.
Access to Services
The Taliban's restrictions on women's movement and their bodies have escalated, with women being denied access to essential services if they are unchaperoned. In May 2022, the Taliban instructed women to remain in their homes except in cases of necessity.
Gender-Based Violence
The Taliban's policies have created huge barriers to women's health and education and have curtailed their freedom of movement, expression, and association. The lack of a formal police force and the Women's Affairs Ministry has also left women vulnerable to gender-based violence, with no institutions in place to protect them from abuse.
Mental Health
Flogging and Stoning
In March 2024, the Taliban's supreme leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, announced the reinstatement of flogging and death by stoning for women.
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The Taliban's treatment of ethnic minorities
During their first regime in the 1990s, the Taliban carried out brutal attacks and massacres of Hazaras and Tajiks, killing thousands. They also imposed restrictions on Sikhs and Hindus, forcing them to wear yellow badges, preventing them from building temples, and imposing special taxes.
Since their return to power in 2021, the Taliban have continued to persecute minority groups. They have banned Shi'ites from celebrating religious festivals and restricted their teachings at universities. Sikhs and Hindus face harsh restrictions on their appearance and have been banned from celebrating religious holidays in public, leading many to flee the country.
The Taliban have also targeted Hazaras and Tajiks, with reports of extrajudicial killings occurring daily. They have excluded women from public roles and restricted girls' education. Human rights defenders, particularly women from minority groups, have faced kidnapping, torture, imprisonment, and physical violence.
The Taliban's persecution of ethnic minorities is driven by their interpretation of Islam and a desire to impose their ideology on all Afghans. Their actions have led to a deterioration of the human rights situation in Afghanistan and the exodus of diverse religious groups, leaving a void in the country's social fabric.
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The Taliban's treatment of the media
Afghanistan is a theocracy, with political power concentrated in the hands of a supreme leader and his clerical advisors, collectively referred to as the Leadership. The Leadership makes all major policy decisions behind closed doors, which are then implemented by the country's civil service and judiciary.
> "establish a system in Afghanistan through which we can control all those things that are wrong, obscene, immoral, and against Islam."
However, after being dislodged from Afghanistan following the 2001 U.S. intervention, the Taliban's approach to media changed. Over the course of the next two decades, they developed a complex media strategy that contributed significantly to their rapid military advance and takeover of Afghanistan by August 2021.
Since then, the Taliban's media strategy has shifted again as they attempt to transition from an insurgency to a governing body. They have implemented regulatory restrictions and punitive measures to limit free speech and control the media environment. This includes strict regulations and censorship of TV and radio channels, with female television presenters required to cover their faces while on air, and entertainment programs—particularly those showing women—stopped.
The Taliban have also threatened, imprisoned, and tortured journalists who have criticized the Taliban's government or leadership. They have even gone so far as to threaten foreign journalists to recant their stories and apologize publicly.
The Taliban have also attempted to control social media by flooding multiple platforms with an active online presence. Dozens of pro-Taliban accounts have sprung up, and many dormant accounts of Taliban supporters have become active again. These accounts share content that presents the Taliban in a favourable light and disseminate top-down messages from the Taliban's Emirate.
Despite these oppressive measures, some journalists have continued to practice self-censorship and have persevered to keep media alive in Afghanistan.
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The Taliban's treatment of education
Primary and Secondary Education
In 2021, the Taliban initially allowed girls to attend primary schools, but in September of that year, they restricted access to education for teenage girls by only allowing boys to resume schooling. In March 2022, the Taliban abruptly reversed their plans to allow girls to resume their secondary school education (defined as grade seven and upwards in Afghanistan). With the exception of the current cohort of university students, this decision leaves graduating from sixth grade as the highest level of educational attainment possible for Afghan women.
In some provinces, girls are still allowed to attend secondary school, despite the nationwide ban. However, girls' attendance in primary schools has also fallen significantly.
University Education
In December 2022, the Taliban banned women from attending universities, stating that female attendance would remain suspended "until a suitable environment" had been established at universities. The Taliban have also banned women from working in non-government organisations (NGOs), which has resulted in some NGOs being unable to continue their work in Afghanistan.
Curriculum
The Taliban have also implemented changes to the curriculum, giving priority to religious studies and, in some cases, removing classes on culture (including music) and "terrorism", and modifying history lessons.
Teachers
The Taliban have prohibited women from teaching boys, and there is a general shortage of teachers in Afghanistan, particularly female teachers. In some cases, there are no teachers at all.
Corporal Punishment
There has been a reported increase in the use of corporal punishment in schools, with students being beaten for infractions such as haircut or clothing violations, or for having a mobile phone.
International Response
The Taliban's education policies have also been criticised for their negative impact on boys' education. The dismissal of female teachers, increased use of corporal punishment, and regressive changes to the curriculum have all contributed to a decline in educational quality for boys.
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Frequently asked questions
The current government of Afghanistan is a theocracy and an emirate, officially called the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.
The government of Afghanistan is led by the Taliban, with political power concentrated in the hands of a supreme leader and his clerical advisors, collectively referred to as the Leadership.
As Afghanistan is an Islamic state, governance is based on Sharia law and Pashtunwali, which the Taliban enforces strictly through extensive social and cultural policy.
Afghanistan became a theocracy in 2021 after the Taliban's victory in a twenty-year insurgency against the western-backed Islamic Republic.
The supreme leader of Afghanistan is the head of state, commander-in-chief, and religious leader. The Leadership also includes an advisory council of four to six individuals who have the final say on all policy decisions.
