March 15, 2024

Another Women's Day passes with Taliban's gender apartheid far from over

topic:	Women's rights
located:	Afghanistan
editor:	Shadi Khan Saif

On the heels of yet another robust International Women's Day celebration, Afghanistan‘s millions of women and girls remain systematically alienated from public life and brazenly banned from studying above a basic primary grade.

Following the international day, Domestic and international rights groups issued statements to bring to light the inhuman treatment of women and girls under the Taliban’s harsh regime. 

“As we mark this year’s International Women’s Day, the global theme of “invest in women” should be a moment when we redouble our efforts to unlock even greater progress,” said Roza Otunbayeva, Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) and head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).

Otunbayeva said it is heartbreaking that we are seeing precisely the opposite unfold in Afghanistan: a catastrophic and deliberate international disinvestment that is causing immense harm to women and girls, creating only barriers to sustainable peace and prosperity.

Even more catastrophic is that the ruling Taliban regime seems least bothered by such statements as it continues to further restrictions and limitations imposed on women and girls; the latest being the ban on women and girls’ participation in radio and TV programs via phone from the safety of their homes.

Understandably alarmed by this, the acclaimed press freedom organisation Reporters Sans Frontières also issued a statement pointing out the otherwise ignored atrocities that have been happening in Afghanistan for over two years now. "The silencing of the voices of female listeners and viewers in Khost, the ban on images of officials in Kandahar and the drastic dress restrictions on women journalists in the country are all worrying signs of the Taliban's ideological hardening, aimed particularly at women journalists.” The organisation also called on the Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada to put an end to the repressive measures.

The Taliban's gradual erosion of the little gains Afghanistan had on social fronts, particularly women’s rights, was spurred by the abolition of the women's affairs ministry on the first day of the group’s return to power in August 2021. Followed by the subsequent alienation of women and girls from public and social life, these regressive moves have reduced women and girls in the country to inferior beings of little or no worth.

As one way forward to address this hidden disaster, Human Rights Watch has suggested that at the United Nations (UN) level, leaders should support efforts to adopt a treaty on crimes against humanity that would strengthen protections for women and explore the inclusion of “gender apartheid.” It has also called for the creation of a UN-mandated accountability mechanism to collect and preserve evidence of international crimes being committed in Afghanistan, including against women and girls.

Image by Nk Ni.

Call to Action

Here's how you can support vulnerable Afghans trapped under Taliban rule

Support now