‘’It’s like having a flower, or a rose. You water it and keep it at home for yourself, to look at it and smell it . It is not supposed to be taken out of the house and smelled.’’ One might think that such a statement would have been made in the Middle Ages, when the world was still sexist and patriarchal. However, this quote is not from the Middle Ages, not even from a hundred years ago, but from a few years ago. I was told by Syed Ghaisuddin, a Taliban political figure in Afghanistan.
In a world where the US and other developed countries have seen major advances in society concerning equality between women and men, people tend to forget that the progress they might see in their country is not as common as they think. And that in some places, the situation of women is actually getting worse.This is the case in Afghanistan.
During the summer of 2021, the Taliban–an islamist militant group–took over Kaboul, the capital, reestablishing their power over the country after 20 years of war. They put an end to the Islamic Republic; which marked the beginning of a long line of reforms that would drastically limit human and more specifically women’s rights.
While the country had always applied Sharia law, which restricted women’s rights, the past three years have seen these restrictions increase significantly under the Taliban government. Women have been systematically marginalized, losing access to education, employment, and freedom of movement.
Today, all Afghan women—about 20.8 million people, or half the population—have seen their rights disappear, day by day, month by month, year by year. They no longer have access to many jobs, especially in positions of power. In December 2022, they were forbidden from working for most local and international NGOs. They are also forbidden from leaving their homes without a male escort and must stay at home except in cases of extreme necessity.
Another key reform was the prohibition for girls to attend school or university after finishing elementary school, a policy that was applied in June 2023. As a result, 2.5 million Afghan girls and young women—about 80% of the potential student population—are now out of school.
While their situation is already alarming, the Taliban have continued to enforce restrictive measures. Their latest reform from December 28th 2024, announced that any buildings facing public spaces shouldn’t have any windows. To be sure that nobody can see women in their homes.
As shocking as this situation is for the rest of the world, protestations of the population and condemnation by several countries and organizations seem to have had little effect on the Taliban’s actions.
The question remains : What can we do to help all these women, who, according to a recent survey, reported having, for 90 percent of them, a bad or very bad mental health ?
In reality, the solutions seem pretty limited for now. Diplomatic pressure has proven ineffective, as the Taliban’s behavior has not changed despite reactions from the international community.
Help can therefore mostly only be provided by supporting women’s rights organizations, offering financial assistance so they can act on the ground and assist as many women as possible. Everyone can participate, notably by donating to organizations like “CARE” or “Women for Women International.”
But the issue stays the same : How can the international community do more to support these women in their struggle for basic freedoms and dignity? One thing is sure: the need for continued international action remains critical as the situation continues to deteriorate.
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