“Death in Slow motion: Women and girls under the Taliban Rule” 

 

We were shocked following the news about the war in Ukraine as we were when Afghanistan was forced to yield absolute power to the Taliban, and people were hanging from planes trying to escape because they did not want to suffer under the new laws ruled by the Taliban.

 

However, the world we live in is manipulated by the media. And those owning the viral information allow us to forget what other parts of the world keep suffering quickly. The amount of information we receive daily prevents us from following up on past events, influencing the economic structure, and maintaining the status quo.

 

Nevertheless, I wanted to bring back the precarious situation of Afghan women since the Taliban took over Afghanistan territory because the lives of many are in danger. Their dreams of becoming young professionals, traveling abroad, or attending school have been shattered. 

 

A recent report published by Amnesty International and the New York Times in August 2022 shares interviews of many women from different provinces and ask for help to fight for their human rights. They have been harassed, neglected, and even beaten. Many NGOs have testified human rights violations against women and girls. That’s why I want to share specific information with you, so we can help them spread the word.

 

Women at Work:

 

Taliban restrictions for women on work have decreased the opportunities for their professional development. Most of them feel desperate because the Taliban is interfering with their workspaces. First, they need to have a permit to work. This authorization is issued only if this position cannot be replaced by men or is not considered a “man’s job.”

 

Second, most female employees in the public sphere were asked to stay at home, and in the private sector, many women have been fired from high-level positions. Furthermore, according to the new Taliban policies, all females must be accompanied to go outside by male chaperones or “mahram,” which reduces women’s options to find a job.

 

To aggravate the situation, women who are their families single or principal wage-earner have fewer opportunities to feed their families, and the rates of malnutrition and poverty are growing fast.

 

Education:

 

Education in Afghanistan is banned for girls at the secondary level. The vast majority are facing difficulties to keep studying or teaching. However, teachers and students want to continue their education even though they must insubordinate or break the Taliban’s rules. They are motivated to continue their education in underground schools, online lessons, or by teaching themselves. 

 

Some schoolteachers continued to work without getting payments for months, leading them to sell their household appliances or end up hungry and impoverished. In the case of women, if they go to school they must go with a male chaperone and have surprise controls where a police officer can beat women if they are not accompanied.

 

At the university level, the Taliban’s harassment of female students and restrictions on their students’ behavior, dress, and opportunities have contributed to an unsafe environment where female students are systematically disadvantaged compared to male students. As a result, many female students have stopped attending or decided not to enroll in the university. 

 

The restrictions imposed by the Taliban are most related to gender segregation and dress code. In terms of gender segregation, many universities must ensure that female teacher teach female students. Female and male students use separate entrances and exits, that male and female students attend university on different shifts or days. When such measures are impossible, curtains or other physical barriers are established between male and female students. In terms of dress code, many universities now require female students to wear a burka or a long, black veil covering the body from head to toe.

Female university students had been prevented from using their smartphones on campus, speaking in class, making presentations, attending conferences, meeting male teachers one-on-one, or visiting administrative offices. 

 

In conclusion, the challenges affecting girls’ and women’s access to education at all levels include restrictions on their movement, teacher shortages, and students’ lack of motivation due to limited career options under the Taliban.

 

Daily life:

 

Women and girls are repressed by Taliban restrictions on their human rights freedom of movement. In their daily life, a new policy has forced them to wear dark clothes covering their body from head to toe. The responsibility of this policy to be implemented goes to the male family member, who can be imprisoned if women and girls refuse to follow the procedure.

 

There are surprise inspections in workspaces to ensure all women are spared from men and follow the clothing policy. Taliban have criticized women for wearing different colors or finding a minimal excuse to insult or humiliate women outside their household.

 

Additionally, as mentioned before, they cannot leave their homes unless necessary, and when they do so, they must be accompanied by a male chaperone or “mahram.” Women who are found in their workspace without one are beaten or imprisoned.

 

Child, early and forced marriage:

 

Since the Taliban took over the country, child, early, and forced marriage rates are increasing. There are several components. However, all of them are interrelated to the rules, policies, and actions taken by the Taliban and its members.

 

The most important factors are the economic and humanitarian crisis, failure to guarantee education and professional development for women and girls and different perspectives of families regarding marriage. Some families want to protect their daughters from marriage to a Taliban member; others force them to marry a Taliban member, and Taliban members demand women and girls to marry them.

 

Politics:

 

The Taliban's new policy has banned women and girls from actively participating in politics. They have violated human rights of freedom, expression, association, and assembly. During pacific protests, women and girls have been subjected to harassment, humiliation, abuse, beating, and electric shocks. Additionally, they are dismissed from public positions in the Taliban's government.

 

One crucial setback is the cease of operations of the Ministry of Women's Affairs, which was replaced by the Ministry of Vice and Virtue, which has a contrasting purpose that includes discriminatory treatment and abuse of women and girls.

 

References:

 

https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/asa11/5685/2022/en/

https://unama.unmissions.org/unama-statement-hijab-directive-taliban-authorities

https://www.unwomen.org/en/news-stories/statement/2022/05/statement-on-afghanistan-by-ms-sima-bahous-un-women-executive-director

https://www.unwomen.org/en/news-stories/news/2022/03/afghan-women-call-for-global-attention-and-action-to-meet-the-needs-of-women-and-girls-in-afghanistan

https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2022/07/human-rights-council-holds-urgent-debate-human-rights-women-and-girls