The Taliban Are Erasing Women From Public Life

Human rights violations are a global scourge that have engulfed scores of countries on every continent. It appears as though violating human rights is a game in which governments of all national stripes take pleasure and even try to outdo each other in their horrifically gross violations. Tragically, Afghanistan stands out as the one country that egregiously violates women’s rights beyond the pale of anyone’s capacity to grasp.

Conditions for women in Afghanistan are worsening despite global outrage. Since the Taliban assumed power in 2021, they have systematically been stripping women and girls of their fundamental rights, violating every moral principle. Under the Taliban, women have been effectively erased from public life, and virtually every aspect of their lives has come under severe restrictions. According to the UN, “the oppression that Afghan women and girls are experiencing…. is unmatched in terms of scale and generational impact.” The Taliban claims this is dignity under Sharia law when it is nothing but gender persecution, a blatant crime against humanity.

As of June 2024, over one million girls have been banned from secondary school, and over 100,000 from university. This prohibition on access to schooling and higher education has grave intergenerational consequences, not only for women and girls, but also for the country’s future and development.

With rare exceptions, women in Afghanistan are not free to work, nor travel any significant distance without a male accompanying them. The ban on employment outside the home is especially devastating for widowed women who are alone and thus unable to feed their families. Many are reduced to begging in the streets.

When in public, women must adhere to a strict dress code that includes a full-body covering, such as a burqa, which covers the woman from head to toe, leaving a small opening for the eyes, even though Islam does not require women to cover their faces. If a woman is caught on the street without wearing a burqa, she may be publicly beaten by Taliban authorities, and if she cannot afford a burqa or properly wear one because of an injury, then she has no choice but to remain captive within her home.

The public spaces that women are allowed to visit are extremely restricted – places like parks or gyms are entirely forbidden. They cannot appear on television. Women are prohibited from serving as judges or lawyers and cannot even access the judicial system if they are seeking redress as victims of gender-based violence. In short, the protections afforded by the judicial system are not extended to women.

Consequently, women’s physical and mental health has declined under the Taliban’s rule. Maternal and child mortality rates have dramatically increased in a country where the healthcare system is falling apart. Meanwhile, the isolation endured by women, young and old, has led to depression and despair, with many women contemplating suicide as an escape from the hopelessness of their social condition.

Religious and cultural narratives have been used to justify the subjugation of women. These justifications are not inherent to Islam itself but are rather how religion has been interpreted and used to enforce religious power structures. Last year, the Taliban’s supreme leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, announced that it had publicly resumed stoning women to death. The Guardian reported his statement: “You may call it a violation of women’s rights when we publicly stone or flog them for committing adultery because they conflict with your democratic principles… [But] I represent Allah, and you represent Satan.” The stoning of women to death is a brazen violation of international human rights law, including the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.

Amnesty International has concluded that the oppression of women and girls in Afghanistan is tantamount to gender persecution, which is indeed a crime against humanity. The tendency to violate human rights may be innate or part of human nature, and without a strong societal structure, which is missing in Afghanistan, humans might naturally tend toward conflict and domination of one another.

If there is one bright spot, it is that even in the face of systematic oppression, many women continue to protest and find ways to counter a social order that would see them reduced to mere servants of their male dominators. It is a remarkable testament to their fortitude that Afghan women still have not resigned themselves to their fate but have maintained a campaign of refusal, despite the dangers this poses. GW Today reports on the resilience that “women continue to show amid the unimaginable loss they’ve faced and harsh restrictions they’re forced to live through. At great risk of being even assassinated, many of the women still seek out resources to learn, organize and advocate for themselves.”

The International Criminal Court’s issuance of arrest warrants for Taliban leaders marks an important step toward accountability. However, legal mechanisms alone are insufficient without coordinated international action and political will. The global community must move beyond statements of condemnation and implement concrete measures to uphold international law, ensure accountability, and support Afghan women in reclaiming their rights and place in society.

To that end, imposing economic sanctions, which are considered the most effective to effect a change in the Taliban’s behavior, is certainly not the answer. It only further exacerbates the already existing financial meltdown the country is experiencing. The impoverished and despondent Afghans would ultimately bear the brunt of the consequences. Several concrete measures must be taken to force or persuade the Taliban leadership to change their treatment of women.

First, several Muslim states can exert direct pressure on Afghanistan, including Pakistan, which has a significant influence in Afghanistan, partly because of historical ties, a shared border, and its involvement with various Afghan factions over the years. Qatar has acted as a mediator and hosted talks with the Taliban and has a line of communication that could be leveraged to advocate for women’s rights. Saudi Arabia, which represents Sunni Islam, can also play a significant role. Although it has its own issues with gender equality, Saudi Arabia has been implementing some reforms and does offer women more freedom. It could leverage its religious influence to advocate for better treatment of women in Afghanistan.

Second, since the Taliban invoke ‘Islamic edicts’ to justify their treatment of women, engaging reputable and influential Muslim scholars who can advocate for women’s rights through religious and cultural dialogue within an Islamic framework should be leveraged with the Taliban.

Third, neighboring countries must come together to push for changes collectively, on a regional level. In that context, offering regional development projects would be conditional upon the Afghan government making tangible improvements in women’s rights.

Fourth, international organizations could establish and support schools for girls and vulnerable women directly in Afghanistan, providing on-the-ground resources and safe shelters in areas supported by these organizations. Additionally, since the support for Afghan refugees fleeing persecution has been woefully inadequate, much more can and must be done to grant asylum, particularly to women human rights defenders.

Fifth, countries should utilize diplomatic isolation by reducing or limiting their formal diplomatic engagements with the Afghan government and imposing visa restrictions on officials directly responsible for oppressive policies. They should also raise global awareness to make it politically costly for the Afghan government to ignore women’s inherent rights.

The EU and the UN should work together to implement these measures. By doing so with determination and consistency while offering to help in every way possible, they will be able to affect a real, albeit gradual, change in the Taliban’s treatment of women and girls.

Mere condemnation and expression of outrage at the Taliban’s treatment of women have gone nowhere. Enough preaching the gospel of human rights. It’s time to act and redress Afghanistan’s most horrific violations of women’s rights in the world.