CIVICUS discusses deteriorating women’s rights in Afghanistan with Mohammad Mohmadi, the director of the Afghanistan Human Rights Center, a civil society organisation working to promote and defend human rights.
Since coming to power in August 2021, the Taliban have systematically rolled back women’s rights, banning girls from education beyond 11-to-12 years old and stopping women working, being in public places or leaving their homes without a male guardian. The latest restrictions include a ban on women speaking in public. The international community has condemned these measures, but western governments have struggled to take effective action and some have continued to maintain informal diplomatic relations with the Taliban. Human rights groups are calling for a stronger global response to support Afghan women and hold the Taliban to account.
What are the main challenges women face under Taliban rule?
Since the Taliban regained power in 2021, women have faced immense challenges. They have been denied education, employment, healthcare and even the basic freedom to move around independently.
The Taliban’s latest decrees have placed even more restrictions on Afghan women. Women aren’t allowed to take part in any activities outside their homes. They cannot go to beauty salons or parks, or attend public recreation areas. They must cover their faces and bodies completely to avoid being seen by men and cannot speak, sing or read aloud in public. The Taliban have effectively silenced women’s voices, which can now only be heard in the home.
This systematic persecution of women is a clear manifestation of gender apartheid. Women’s status as human beings has been degraded. The deeply condescending and deplorable language of the new Law for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice is simply unacceptable by any standard in the 21st century. It’s also a major setback for Afghanistan, which for 20 years made significant progress towards equality, often at great personal and collective sacrifice.
How have the latest restrictions further affected the daily lives of Afghan women?
These new restrictive measures added another layer of oppression to the already long list of restrictions Afghan women face. This relentless attack on their rights affects their personal and social lives and their mental health, putting them under immense psychological pressure as they struggle to comply with the new laws.
In addition to these restrictions, women are subject to increased surveillance. The new law gives authority to Sharia inspectors to enforce provisions that go beyond previous rules and regulations. For example, the definition of hijab requires women to cover all parts of their body, hide their face to prevent sedition and restricts women’s voices. It’s not just about Sharia inspectors – there’s a whole infrastructure of control over women freedoms. Drivers are forbidden from providing services to women travelling alone and transport companies are forbidden from assisting them, making it almost impossible for women to leave their homes without risking punishment. Even women who are allowed to work in sectors such as education and health face challenges when it comes to transportation and communications as well as discrimination and abuses such as discrimination in payments and salaries.
But Afghan women are showing extraordinary courage in the face of oppression. Since the beginning, they’ve bravely stepped forward to demand their rights and freedoms, although they’ve felt abandoned by the international community and some parts of the Afghan population. But many Afghans stood with them, showing solidarity even at risk to their lives.
Resistance has taken various forms, including protests in provinces such as Balkh, Herat, Kabul, Parwan and Takhar, where people have rallied against the Taliban’s restrictions. Social media has become a means of amplifying women’s voices, as they have turned to online platforms to protest against the restrictions and run awareness campaigns. International forums, written articles and reports, clandestine educational networks and online schooling systems have also been crucial in resisting the Taliban’s policies.
How do these restrictions affect the work of civil society?
Under Taliban rule, the work of civil society and human rights organisations has become almost impossible. We were already working in a difficult environment, with restrictions on employing women and carrying out basic activities, but the situation has continued to worsen. The dismantling of key institutions, such as the Afghanistan Human Rights Commission and the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, has severely undermined efforts to promote and protect human rights.
Some organisations have attempted to continue their work from abroad, using resources within Afghanistan, but the current circumstances are extremely restrictive and dangerous. These new restrictive measures have further reduced the already limited space for these organisations, severely affecting their logistical and operational capabilities. It has become almost impossible to engage with communities, particularly women, leaving little or no space to address human rights issues. Those working in the field now face extreme risks.
What should the international community do to support women’s rights in Afghanistan?
The international community must act decisively against gender apartheid. The time for statements and declarations is over. We need strong action. For three years, the Taliban have systematically violated the rights of half the population and committed widespread human rights abuses. The recent meeting in Doha, which many hoped would lead to progress, instead resulted in the Taliban imposing an even more repressive law.
The international community must take a more united and decisive approach. It must implement the recommendations of the United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, Richard Bennett, and use all available tools and mechanisms, including accountability measures, judicial procedures and sanctions, to hold Taliban leaders to account and end their tyranny.
The UN Human Rights Council and the international community have a responsibility to refer the case of Afghanistan to the UN Security Council, possibly leading to action by the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice. Universal jurisdiction should be exercised and resources made available to prosecute those responsible for human rights abuses.
The international community must avoid engaging with the Taliban and should instead increase its support for civil society and human rights organisations, as well as women’s education, both inside and outside Afghanistan. The Taliban’s use of social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to spread propaganda and intimidate women must also be investigated and sanctioned.
The international community has a critical role to play in supporting Afghanistan’s transition to democracy. This includes ensuring the active participation of civil society in shaping Afghanistan’s future, promoting political freedoms and helping to build a legitimate economy that provides security for all Afghans.
While Afghans are determined to fight for their rights and freedoms, they need the support of the international community to reduce the costs of this struggle.
Civic space in Afghanistan is rated ‘closed’’ by the CIVICUS Monitor.
