Taliban Takeover: What Does This Mean for Afghan Women?
Afghan women fear for their freedom despite Taliban claiming that “they will have rights within the Islamic framework".
As the Taliban declare victory in Afghanistan, women, and girls across the country fear for their lives and livelihoods as they stand to lose hard-earned rights to education, employment, and everyday freedoms.
A Brief History
When the Taliban ruled Afghanistan between 1996 and 2001, many civil liberties were limited, and women were mostly confined to their homes. Nearly 20 years after the US initiated the collapse of Taliban from the capital, the terrorist group are now back in power in Kabul.
Afghan Women Face an Uncertain Future
On Tuesday, two days after seizing the presidential palace in Kabul, a spokesperson for the Taliban told Sky News that women can continue to be educated to university level and will not have to wear a burka – full face and body covering – but will have to wear a hijab (headscarf) “for their own security”.
However, it is hard to believe that the Taliban will adopt a “peaceful” transition into power, given the oppression that came with their previous rule. When the Taliban were previously in charge, it was considered a “crime” to be born a woman. Girls were unable to attend school and were barred from appearing in public, without being accompanied by a male chaperone. Those that refused were publicly flogged or executed.
Taliban officials “justify their rules in terms of Islam despite many senior Taliban policymakers having limited religious knowledge” says Larry Goodson, author of Afghanistan's Endless War.
We can only hope that under the new Taliban regime, women are not subjected to the same brutal treatment as before.
In case you missed it, The World Is On Fire: IPCC Report 2021
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