The Taliban, who are now the DFA, or De Facto Authorities in Afghanistan, took power almost five years ago in August 2021. Since then, they have been stripping the rights of women, young women, and girls, subjecting them to discrimination. Not only are the lack of rights making life extremely difficult for these women, but so are the obvious crises that currently plague them.
Healthcare is a right that sadly, we must call ourselves lucky to have the privilege of having access to. Unfortunately, since the Taliban’s takeover, these Afghan women have lost their rights to the care that they should be provided. Not only are women unable to receive medical care from male doctors in some provinces, the DFA has also released a ban that prohibits the study of medicine by women. As if that isn’t enough, women can barely leave their homes to search for healthcare without fear of being turned away, injured, or worse.
There has been an extreme spike in gender based violence in Afghanistan. The United Nations reported a 40% increase. Women experiencing this terrible violence are completely reliant on the Taliban to resolve these issues. Unfortunately, it is clear that women are not only their last priority, but also a group that they feel they must strip rights of to remain in power. This reliance on the Taliban forces women into unwanted situations and forced silence. Women and even young girls have been forced into marriages, despite the Taliban releasing a decree that it would be banned.
These women have not only been forced into marriages, but also into belief systems. Taliban decrees and policies place extreme restrictions on religious beliefs, forcing many to convert. If conversion isn’t accepted, the situations escalate into physical and verbal violence and assaults. Arrests have also been made regarding prayer attendance.
Religious expression isn’t the only form of expression being controlled. Independent and opinionated media is also being affected. The Taliban has arrested multiple journalists, referring to them as spies and referring to their opinions as, “moral corruption.”
With this inability to share viewpoints, women in Afghanistan also have no political involvement. Since 2020, women have lost their abilities to run for president and the fourth of seats in Parliament that they held. The symbol of a strong, outspoken woman has been stolen from the eyes of young women and girls in Afghanistan. No women are seen at political events or in any leadership roles. Not only are women made unsafe and uncomfortable in public spaces, they have also lost their authority in their own homes. There has been a 60% drop in the number of women that feel that they are influential in their houses.
Even though these women have been pushed, shoved, and forced into lives in the shadows, they still continue to advocate for themselves in any ways that they can, including informally meeting with the DFA, running businesses, becoming community leaders, and working as journalists.
These women, girls, and people are strong and brave and we need to be strong and brave for them as well. The United Nations has been working with women’s organizations, engaging with the DFA, supporting female entrepreneurs, supporting healthcare, documenting, and helping them raise their voices to share their struggles with the world.
Most of us go through our daily lives with rights, dignity, opportunities, care, and freedom. Many of us don’t think twice about the ability to style hair a certain way and show their faces in public. It is extremely important to recognize the abilities that are had and appreciate them with these courageous people in mind.
Sources:
https://www.amnesty.org/en/location/asia-and-the-pacific/south-asia/afghanistan/report-afghanistan/
