It has been a few months now that Afghanistan is experiencing one of the worst humanitarian crisis of the world. The repatriation of American forces, following the decision of the president Joe Biden, led to the collapse of the Afghan government and the take-over of the Taliban. It has been a few weeks that tens of thousands of Afghans try desperately to flee the country. We all have seen these shocking videos, which got viral on social media, showing Afghan people trying to hang on to the planes as they take off, at the Kabul airport.
People remember very well the last time the Taliban were in power, in the 1990s. They ruled the country, following very strict Islamic measures. Every Afghan woman remembers how women and girls were excluded from society. They didn’t have access to work, to politics nor to education. It is thus not surprising to see how desperate and scared they are for their future. Some women believe they will lose all the advancements on their rights they had gained in the last 30 years. The Taliban try to share a new image of themselves and promised that women’s rights will be respected, however “within the limits of Islam”.
We already see some restrictive measures taking place right now against women. Taliban have asked to most of them to stay at home, especially those who are working. Apparently, this is only a temporary measure, to protect them until the new political framework is better established.
This is exactly what they said last time, explains Heather Barr, associate director of the women’s rights division at Human Rights Watch. From 1996 to 2001, women and girls weren’t allowed to study or work, officially for safety reasons. Taliban had promised that as soon as the situation would improve, they could go back. “Of course, that never happened”, says Heather.
Some women testify that unofficially, they would even need a male guardian, a mahram, in order to go to public spaces. This was already one of the many misogynic rules of the Taliban regime in the 1990s.
This staying-at-home policy also prevents women from taking part in the political environment. After the announcement of an all-male political cabinet, Afghan women protested in Kabul to defend their rights. In response to that, Sayed Zekrullah Hashimi, a Taliban spokesman, told Tolo News in an interview that "A woman can't be a minister. It is like you put something on her neck that she can't carry.” He explained that the role of women was to give birth and stay at home.
Afghan women protesting for the preservation of their human rights, in Kabul
Being part of the political scene is not the only thing that women may lose. Access to education too. After several attacks on schools across Afghanistan, some had to close. There is a fear that 1 million of children will not have access to education anymore.
The BBC has interviewed three Afghan women in July 2021, in order to hear their vision on education. Wahida, 16 years old, was going to school before the Taliban took over. However, even if she was officially allowed to, she wouldn’t get the approval of her whole family. Her dad and her grandfather stopped talking to her because of it. “They say I should quit school and get married", she says. This shows how women’s access to education doesn’t only rely on political measures but also on the cultural mindset.
Another factor that threatens women’s access to education is the growing violence of Islamic groups. In November 2020, the university of Kabul has been attacked by several armed men. They stormed the campus and shot on several students in a classroom. 22 people lost their lives and more than 22 others were injured. One of the teachers, Shahla, also interviewed by the BBC, explains that most victims were women. She says: “the police would not help the injured women escape from the scene because they believe that touching women is Haram [forbidden by Islamic law].”
Afghan women are therefore very scared for their future. Some of them have lost faith in their dreams. Interviewed by the IRC (International Rescue Committee), a little 17-year old girl says : “one day the school will close and the girls will no longer be allowed to come out of their homes.”
International humanitarian organizations are supporting all these Afghan women who are scared to lose their rights, are exposed to more and more violence and cannot leave their homes and continue their job or studies.
If you want to help these women find safe places, you can make a donation to Women for Women International, a non-profit organization that supports female survivors of war. Even a small contribution could make a difference for them.
To do so, follow this link:
Article by Emma Cornubert
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