Taliban's return to power extinguished hard-won gains for women's rights

Irish Examiner

4 hours ago

The return of the Taliban to power in Afghanistan on August 15, 2021, was a devastating reversal of the progress that Afghan women had made over the previous two decades. For nearly 20 years, Afghan women had experienced a period of significant progress — particularly after the fall of the Taliban in 2001.
With the support of international forces led by the US, women were able to reclaim rights and freedoms that had been stripped away during the Taliban's first rule in the late 1990s. Girls returned to school in their millions, women re-entered the workforce, and many took up leadership roles in politics and civil society.
By 2021, Afghan women formed 29.39% of the civil service, and women held 27% of parliamentary seats.
These strides were not just symbolic. They represented a transformative shift in the lives of millions of women and girls, offering them previously unimaginable opportunities.
However, the Taliban's return to power swiftly extinguished these hard-won gains.
The Taliban, known for its oppressive and patriarchal interpretation of Islam, immediately began implementing a series of decrees that systematically dismantled women's rights across Afghanistan. These decrees, now numbering over 100, have touched every aspect of life for Afghan women — from education and employment to freedom of movement, and even how they dress and the colour of dress they wear.
The echoes of the Taliban's previous rule, when women were barred from virtually all public life and subjected to brutal enforcement of gender norms, have returned with a vengeance
One of the most catastrophic decrees issued by the Taliban was the ban on education for girls beyond the sixth grade. This policy has not only deprived millions of girls of their right to education, but also condemned them to a future of dependency and limited opportunities.
The ban on girls' education is emblematic of the Taliban's broader strategy to erase women from public life and confine them to Afghan-specific traditional roles. Despite international condemnation, the Taliban has shown no willingness to reverse this policy, leaving the fate of an entire generation of women and girls in jeopardy.
The assault on women's rights did not stop with education. The Taliban has also inflicted strenuous restrictions on women's employment, effectively barring them from most forms of work outside the home. While the de-facto regime initially pledged that women would be allowed to work, once appropriate segregated environments were established, this proved to be an empty promise.
Taliban fighters patrol a market in Kabul's Old City, Afghanistan, after their return to power in 2021. Freedom of movement for Afghan women has also been severely curtailed under the Taliban's rule, writes Mahbooba Faiz. File Picture: Bernat Armangue/AP
Women have been almost entirely pushed out of the workforce, losing their economic independence and being forced into roles dictated by the Taliban's biased interpretation of Sharia law. The prohibition of women working in most NGOs has further incapacitated efforts to deliver essential services, particularly in rural areas where female health workers and educators are desperately needed.
Freedom of movement for Afghan women has also been severely curtailed under the Taliban's rule. Women are now required to be accompanied by a male guardian, or mahram, for any journey beyond 72km, and they are forbidden from entering public spaces such as parks, gyms, and even public baths.
These restrictions not only isolate women socially but also trap them within their homes, depriving them of physical exercise, social interaction, and any semblance of a normal life.
The Taliban's enforcement of these rules through their morality police has infused a climate of fear, as women know that any perceived violation could result in severe punishment
Beyond these overtly repressive policies, there have been numerous reports of abduction and sexual violence against women — particularly those in detention. In Taliban-controlled prisons, women are often subjected to rape and other forms of sexual abuse by their captors. These horrific acts of violence are infrequently reported, as the victims fear retaliation and societal shame.
The Taliban's control over the judicial system means that women have no access to justice. Those who speak out are women who have escaped the country or use pseudonyms to report. Around 16 victims of Taliban imprisonment have become pregnant. Many women and girls released from detention centers have tragically taken their own lives.
In a case reported on July 29, 2024, a 19-year-old girl was abducted by a Taliban soldier in Bamyan and held captive in a prison for four days. After her release, she tragically died by suicide. She had been raped by the soldiers. The soldier responsible for her abduction and rape was merely fired from his job as punishment.
Women who dare to defy the Taliban even slightly are often met with violence or ostracism. The culture of impunity that allows such abuses to continue unchecked is a stark reminder of the Taliban's deeply entrenched misogyny.
The psychological and social toll of the Taliban's rule on Afghan women is profound. The combination of physical violence, social isolation, and economic disenfranchisement has led to a sharp increase in mental health issues among women, particularly young girls who have been denied an education.
Reports of depression, anxiety, and suicide have surged as women grapple with the hopelessness and helplessness of their situation. The Taliban's policies have created an environment where women are not only physically confined but also mentally oppressed, with almost no hope for a brighter future.
Mahbooba Faiz, in the RDJ offices on Cork's South Mall where she has worked for two years, is one of several Afghan activists in Ireland who are campaigning for the term 'gender apartheid' to be incorporated in Article 2 of the Draft Crimes Against Humanity Convention. Picture: Chani Anderson
Despite the widespread condemnation of the Taliban's treatment of women, the international community has largely failed to take effective action. While diplomatic efforts, including the non-recognition of its government by the world, have been employed, they have had little effect on altering the Taliban's behaviour.
Humanitarian aid, though crucial, cannot address the systemic oppression faced by Afghan women. The international community needs to take more robust, co-ordinated action, including increased support for Afghan women, offering asylum to those fleeing persecution, and holding the Taliban accountable through international legal mechanisms.
Despite the enormous challenges they face, Afghan women continue to resist Taliban oppression with extraordinary courage. Protests, although often brutally suppressed, are a testament to the resilience and determination of Afghan women who refuse to accept their inhuman treatment under any pretext, including that of religion. However, they cannot win this imbalanced fight alone. They need the support of the international community and all conscious individuals of the human family to stand in solidarity with them to fight for their dignity and rights.
The situation for women in Afghanistan under Taliban rule is nothing short of a humanitarian tragedy. The systematic rollback of women's progress has plunged the country into darkness, undoing two decades of gains and leaving millions of women and girls without hope.
The Taliban's decrees have obliterated women from public life, subjected them to violence and abuse, and deprived them of their most basic human rights.
This is personal for me. When Kabul fell to the Taliban in August 2021, my husband and I fled Afghanistan with our young son and one back pack apiece. One of those backpacks held an Irish flag — a symbol of the promise of sanctuary a small country on the opposite side of the world had offered to us. However, we were forced to leave many of those we hold dear behind.
The world must not turn a blind eye to this crisis of questioning the dignity of women. Rather than mere words, concrete actions are needed to support Afghan women in their struggle for dignity, justice, and equality.
The resilience of Afghan women is a beacon of hope. They need a global voice to support their cause, to overcome this dark chapter, and to ensure that the promise of a better future is not lost forever.
Mahbooba Faiz is a lawyer, women's rights advocate and leading the Irish Campaign to have 'gender apartheid' as practiced by Taliban of Afghanistan codified as a 'crime against humanity'. Follow the campaign at #EndgenderApartheid