Being a Woman in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan
In the United States, many of us have a choice. In fact, we have choices (plural), but the women of Afghanistan are losing their right to choose a life they want for themselves. In Afghanistan, there’s a lot of things a woman can’t be.
Since the United States’ departure from Afghanistan, the Taliban has successfully taken back the country and embedded its influence into its politics, economy, and the everyday lives of Afghans. While the Taliban vowed to respect women’s rights and promote free speech, they have not lived up to their promises. Any progress that had been made in relation to human rights has all but disappeared. Amongst other things, the Taliban have reintroduced dress code restrictions and banned secondary education for girls. Not long after the Taliban took power, the Ministry of Women’s Affairs– a crucial structure in advocating for women’s rights– was shut down.
Some women were barred from their workplaces, and those who held jobs in government were told to stay home. Thousands of women– many who were lawyers, university professors, prosecutors, and judges– have lost their jobs. But, despite the threat of retaliation, some women continue to protest the Taliban, taking to the streets to state their demands for equality and right to basic freedoms. Yet, the story is always the same: peaceful protests often end in violence, with the Taliban shooting to disperse protestors. These women often go into hiding, fighting the Taliban from behind closed doors. Others take to art to express their views.
With restrictions on girls’ education, underground schools have sprung up across the country. While women are allowed to pursue higher education, receiving secondary education has been banned, effectively cutting off new generations of girls from pursuing an education. The future of the country is at stake. The economy is in shambles and people are starving and people are dying. And where are the women? The country’s healthcare system faces a major challenge: there are no women doctors. Many hospitals and clinics are understaffed, a problem that was only aggravated with the COVID-19 pandemic. While women continue to practice medicine, some don’t return to work for fear of harassment or simply because of travel restrictions.
This is a serious issue for the women of Afghanistan and a society that is becoming increasingly forced into gender segregation. While some women continue their studies at universities, younger girls are being denied any access to the same quality of education in their future. What will happen when Afghanistan’s current female doctors are gone?
The issues extend beyond the medical sector. Employment for women is scarce. A prominent women’s rights activist, Laila Hadari, runs a shop in Kabul dedicated to turning old bullets used in the war into jewellery. The workshop helps women make a living. Nevertheless, women’s rights to employment are at risk, should the Taliban impose stricter restrictions.
In the words of women’s rights activist, Mahbouba Seraj, “[women] are becoming extinct.” They are disappearing from the social sphere except where they are considered most essential.
We are far from Afghanistan. It’s been nearly two years since the American withdrawal from the country, and the Afghan nation has been left in ruins. The women in the country continue to grapple with their loss of freedom. Many Afghans feel abandoned by the West. Attention has shifted elsewhere and the world is beginning to forget Afghanistan. Guaranteeing the respect of women’s rights in the country is not only a matter of democracy or humanitarian aid. It is a matter of recognizing the consequences that lack of freedom for its citizens may bring. Women play an integral role in society. Barring them from education, employment, and denying them basic rights will only harm the development of the country. There exists no progress in a society that oppresses its people. What does this mean, not only for Afghan women, but for the stability of the region?
I found your first paragraph to be extremely powerful. This post is heart-wrenching and I can’t imagine not only experiencing what these women are going through but also witnessing the reversal of any progress they feel they’ve made. I think you did an amazing job portraying this tragedy and the pictures you included really helped expand your message.
As someone who has never had to experience anything close to this, I cannot imagine how difficult it must be for these women. The women who continue to protest are extremely brave and strong. I don’t know if I would have the courage to protest, especially because the Taliban so often turn violent.
This was a great coverage of such a tragic issue. Since the US has left Afghanistan, media coverage of the region has been extremely limited, but that doesn’t mean the issue has gone away. In fact it’s gotten even worse, and it’s important to support the Afghani women with or without military deployment.
You writing is so powerful and well done, you did an amazing job displaying the state of Afghanistan. It’s devastating to see the destruction that the people of Afghanistan are continually met with after over 20 years now. I think the image of the art is so powerful. I read an article from an Afghan woman who explained how her home use to be such a beautiful area and now it’s filled with war. That painting perfectly showed that which is painful to see. One day they will recognize that this nation cannot run without women who have been carrying this society on their back.