Women’s Rights in Afghanistan and The Taliban: 2001 And Now
Anchal Agarwal
Afghanistan, a South Asian nation, has been in the news lately, and it’s not because its cricket team won a T20 match or several medals at the Tokyo Olympics 2020. The nation has been in the news since the Taliban, a fundamentalist group recognised as a terrorist organisation by the United Nations (UN) and several other Western nations, took over the country in mid-August after two decades. After the 9/11 attacks, the United States (US) led a collaborative mission with other foreign forces in Afghanistan to eliminate terrorism and, under this guise, to expand influence in the region. In a bid to curb terrorism, the US and the NATO troops stayed in Aghanistan for almost two decades until former US President Donald Trump agreed to withdraw the US troops from Afghanistan and the current US President set 31st August 2021 as the official date for the completion of the withdrawal.
The resurgence of the Taliban has led to the re-establishment of regressive political ideas inspired by the Sharia law under Islam. During their rule in the late 1990s, the Taliban were against girls’ education; women were not allowed to venture out in the public space without a male companion (husband, father, son), could not initiate divorce without consent from any male relative, and were to keep themselves covered and away from the men’s naked eye. Additionally, girls were married off young to preserve their purity, and husbands beating their wives was seen as ordinary as long as it didn’t damage the wife’s face. Forced marriages, rape, and sex slavery were also rampant.
After re-capturing Afghanistan in August 2021, though the Taliban assured the world that women would be given equal rights as per the “Islamic system and values,” the same hasn’t been reflected in their actions and policies. At the first press conference after the Taliban regained control of the nation, the group’s spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid said, “Our sisters, our men have the same rights,” but only within the norms of Islamic law. Additionally, a member of the Taliban’s cultural commission said the new regime is moderate and would give a chance to women and girls to pursue education and careers. However, he added that women’s rights and freedom would be subjected to Islamic rules and the group’s cultural values, and there’s no explanation for what he meant by the “Islamic rules.”
Subsequently, the Taliban banned co-education, citing it as un-Islamic and urged schools and universities to ensure gender-segregated rooms. Regarding this, the Taliban’s education minister Abdul Baqi Haqqani said, “Coeducation is in conflict with the principles of Islam and, on the other hand, it is in conflict with national values and is against the customs and traditions of Afghans.” Haqqani hoped that only women would teach female students. If that is not possible, then men may teach female students, but classes are supposed to follow the ultra-conservative interpretation of Sharia, which includes purdah and the use of a telephone to ask questions. The Minister also specified the dress code girls are expected to follow in public space, including a hijab or any other head covering.
Furthermore, they urged women in secondary schools, high schools, and colleges to avoid going back to school. In September, the group reopened secondary schools only for boys and male teachers. However, they made no mention of when they would reopen secondary schools for girls. Regarding this, they said their restrictions on girls’ education are only temporary to ensure safe learning environments.
They have also banned women from sports and used force and violence to control women who took to the streets to demand equality. Women working in public spaces are being watched and intimidated. Female journalists and human rights activists have either been killed or fled the country, fearing retribution.
Moreover, the group shut down the Ministry for Women’s Affairs and replaced it with a ministry for the promotion of virtue and prevention of vice. Earlier this month, reports of an activist and professor Frozan Safi’s death surfaced. As reported, Safi was shot dead, with her face mutilated by several bullet wounds. Apart from Safi, the Taliban confirmed the death of three other women. The ads of women in public spaces have been defaced either by the shop owners or Taliban officials. Additionally, in their new cabinet, the Taliban didn’t appoint any women. Women and girls are being stripped of their freedom and are forced into obedience.
Many international organisations such as the United Nations and others have expressed concern over the looming humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, with millions living in poverty and malnourishment. Women-led households are at a severe disadvantage as women are barred from accessing basic facilities, including ration and financial services. UNICEF, in a statement, said, “It is critical that all girls, including older girls, are able to resume their education without any further delays. For that, we need female teachers to resume teaching.” The world leaders, including the leaders of the United Nations and the G7 countries, women organisations worldwide, and women and girls of Afghanistan, are fearful that the Taliban rule in Afghanistan would take the nation back to the 1990s, where public execution, amputations, and flogging were quite popular.
All these instances reveal the gross violation of the human rights of women. Religion and culture are being used to school women, objectify them, and legalise men’s control of their bodies and freedom. The men’s interpretation and desire to control girls and women lead to child marriages, femicides, domestic violence, more girls dropping out of school, and sex slavery. The Taliban’s interpretation of the Sharia endows them abundant control over women, choices, and bodies. Women are also often used as a commodity by the insurgent group to lure young men into furthering the group’s cause.
Apart from religious dominance, the Western intervention and the weaponisation of women is another issue women and girls in Afghanistan are dealing with. The western narrative only focuses on saving women and children, often putting the lives of men at stake. It is inherently assumed that all men would want to join the Taliban to further jihad and spread its accepted norms and cultural values. Since the re-emergence of the Taliban, the western media, leaders, and activists have pushed the Talian to ensure the fundamental rights of women and girls. They have promised international aid only if the Taliban allows women to pursue education and careers. Despite successfully strong-arming the Taliban-led government in Afghanistan amid a looming economic and humanitarian crisis and their desire for international recognition, the western governments have failed to ensure women’s rights. The terrorist organisation is keen to follow the “Islamic culture” framework and their interpretation of Islam, which focuses on controlling and subduing women.
The world leaders continue to call on the Taliban to allow women to pursue education. However, will world leaders’ persuasion urge the Taliban to tweak their fundamental values and enable girls to complete their education and seek positions in government? The questions remain to be answered.
