Plight Of Afghan Women

Bini Dahal

There was a time when Afghanistan, a landlocked South Asian nation, was extremely liberal in nature. Especially, when it comes to women’s clothing, there are photos in which women are seen wearing skirts and other dresses comfortably. However, over the years, the country has become totally stringent towards women. 

Since 2021, Taliban has been in power in Afghanistan. Its comeback had created a buzz about the women's situation in the country. Initially it had banned girls above age six from attending school and women from working. And now the country has come up with a law, drawing severe criticisms from the international community. 

The Taliban government recently enforced a new morality law, strongly regulating behaviour and lifestyle of the people. One of the rules demands women to mandatorily cover their faces and bodies outside. It also prohibits their voices being heard publicly. The Taliban have also announced that women should not be heard speaking, singing, or reciting aloud in public. It directs that women must be accompanied by a male relative when going outside. In the Taliban’s words, it is the promotion of virtue and prevention of vice, stemming from the Sharia law. Such a rule is bound to drastically limit women’s public roles and freedom. 

Likewise, there are other rules that regulate the behaviour and lifestyle of men as well. They will not be allowed to play music in the car. And they are required to grow their beards. In case those rules are not followed, the citizens are bound to face detention and other harsh punishments. The United Nations (UN) and other international organisations have condemned the Taliban government’s new move. The UN has called it a disempowering move, causing further worsening of human rights and humanitarian crisis in the country.  

The international community is in need to put pressure on the country. In recent times, the Taliban have been trying to ensure deeper ties with the West, calling for lifting financial sanctions imposed against Afghanistan. It is saddening that the western world has not been able to demand and seek for accountability and head in the right direction. Now it is time for the West to make use of the leverage and negotiate for the Afghani citizens’ rights by providing some kind of recognition to the Taliban. While the West is stuck on the rhetoric of human rights and democracy, it has not been able to even influence one per cent of the fundamentalist group's orientation towards females and citizens in general. So, it is important that they put efforts into regulating the Taliban's actions and demand accountability from their side.  

With its very low human development index and other aspects of development, the country is bound to fall further into the abyss of underdevelopment. Sadly, the helplessness and our ability to only watch and do nothing is the global world's reality today. Those countries that enjoy significantly good relations with Afghanistan must be mobilised to prevent such activities from happening. Or else we will continue to see such events against women happening with no stop to it. If Afghanistan wants to move in the path of development and prosperity, the Taliban must realise that in no way are women an impediment to the society. Human rights should never be disregarded and should not be a matter that can be taken so lightly.