“The wind whispered through the narrow streets of Kabul, carrying with it the echoes of a past where women once roamed free, their laughter mingling with the vibrant colours of the bazaars. But now, under the shadow of a regime that views them as mere shadows of men, those streets are silent. The heavy doors of homes creak open only to reveal eyes filled with fear and voices silenced by the weight of oppression. In this darkened world, the dreams of women have been locked away, like treasured relics of a forgotten era, guarded by the iron fist of the Taliban.”
The Tali-BAN: From Graveyard of Empires to Graveyard of Women
There was a time when Afghanistan was a modern state, women had rights, the burka was optional, women could study and seek employment, women could travel alone wherever they wanted and they had certain civil rights. Ironically, today’s Afghanistan is a lot different as the Hijab is mandatory, girls are not allowed to seek education after sixth grade, women cannot travel alone, cannot dress as per their choice, clerics dictate societal norms, morality/religious police keep a vigil on streets, and women are stone-pelted to death as punishment and leave all, now Afghanistan doesn’t have a Ministry of Women as it’s replaced with Ministry of Vice and Virtue. It’s a regressive/unwanted time travel to the late 1990s, as in 2024 even with the new regime of the Taliban, old oppression continues. It’s because the Taliban rules/governs the country with its version of Sharia law (dominated by a patriarchal and regressive mindset to oppress women, Sharia is the most controversial topic, as it has been misused, manipulated, and misrepresented by Islamic regimes, politicians, terrorists, etc). In crux, imagine a world where every step you take, every decision you make, and every dream you harbour is dictated by an unrelenting force that sees you not as a person but as an object, that’s an unfortunate reality of Afghanistan today.
Although Taliban’s spokesperson Zabiullah promised that “Our sisters, our men have the same rights. They are going to be working with us, shoulder to shoulder with us”, they failed in their promise to provide rights to women and not repeat the morass of 90s. Yet, after 3 years, forget equal rights women don’t have any rights at all, notably, in the last two years Taliban have issued 80 edicts, 50 of which are directly targeted women and girls. The graveyard of the empire is turning into a graveyard itself as 97% of people living in poverty, 60% need humanitarian assistance, and 20 million face hunger but the Taliban’s focus is on eroding women’s rights and making Afghanistan a hell for them. However, the world could care less despite that the Taliban continued its regressive time-travel journey for the women.
Birdseye view: Violation of Human Rights
Hydra is a monster in Greek mythology that has 9 heads (one is immortal) and it aptly describes the Taliban’s attitude towards women as it has different heads that lead to the oppression of women at every juncture. Such oppression is not merely physical but mental, social, economical, you name it and it is there. The Hydra of Taliban encompasses the following monster heads with regressive interpretations of Sharia law as immortal heads that keep creating new regressive/oppressive heads in the form of different edicts that violate women’s rights in totality.
Notably, the Taliban has violated diverse international human rights instrumentalities by different monsters like the ban on education, truncating their educational prospects. Women’s employment and public life participation are banned, undermining their economic independence and societal engagement. The requirement for women to be accompanied by a male guardian for travel severely limits their autonomy. The reinstatement of the full-body burqa restricts women’s freedom of expression and visibility in public spaces. Additionally, access to legal recourse and healthcare services has been undermined, further marginalizing women.
These actions starkly contravene several international human rights instruments, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which guarantees equality and the right to education (Articles 1 and 26); the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, which ensures educational and employment rights (Articles 10 and 11); the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which prohibits cruel treatment (Article 7); and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which recognizes the right to education (Article 28).
A Forgotten Case: Silences of the World
The most distressing aspect of the current situation in Afghanistan is not just the oppression itself but the world’s indifferent response. The international community, with its focus on other pressing issues, has failed to mount an effective and sustained response to the Taliban’s actions. Sanctions and political pressures, while occasionally discussed, have largely been ineffectual. The global backlash against the Taliban has lacked the teeth necessary to effect meaningful change, it’s all barks no bites. As a result, Afghan women continue to suffer in silence, their cries for help muffled by geopolitical calculations and diplomatic inertia.
In an age where global interconnectedness is at its peak, one might expect a stronger international stand against such egregious violations of human rights. Instead, the silence is deafening. The world’s focus on other crises—ranging from the Russia-Ukraine war, tensions in Israel, climate change to economic instability—has overshadowed the dire situation in Afghanistan. This neglect is not merely an oversight; it is a failure of collective responsibility.
Islamic Dis(Unity): Contrarian Aspect
The Islamic world, which traditionally champions the notion of “Muslim brotherhood,” has been notably passive in addressing the Taliban’s abuses. Despite Saudi Arabia’s historic role as a key supporter and formal recognizer of the Taliban during their previous rule, the Kingdom has been conspicuously quiet in its current response. While Saudi Arabia has modernized its policies, such as granting women the right to drive and access to greater freedoms, it has failed to leverage its influence to challenge the Taliban’s regressive policies. The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), which boasts a collective commitment to uphold Islamic values, has similarly fallen short in exerting meaningful pressure on the Taliban. This disunity within the Islamic world and the West’s preoccupation with other geopolitical crises have left Afghan women in a perilous situation. The Taliban’s actions are not only a betrayal of their promises but also a stark reminder of the selective application of human rights norms. The international community’s tepid response and the Islamic world’s passive stance expose a troubling inconsistency in the enforcement of fundamental human rights.
Notably, the world has a long history of ignoring the suffering of women in conflict zones, particularly in regions that are deemed strategically unimportant. The international community’s failure to act decisively in Afghanistan is a continuation of this disturbing trend. While powerful nations and organizations have the means to intervene, they often choose not to, citing political complexities or the need for diplomatic solutions. But what is the cost of this inaction? For the world, it is a stain on our collective conscience, a reminder that we are willing to tolerate the suffering of others as long as it does not affect us directly.
Un(Restrictive) Implications: Graveyard of Empires to Immortality of Misogyny
The Taliban’s draconian measures have not only eroded rights in Afghanistan but also catalyzed a global regression in women’s rights. This “Talibanization” phenomenon—where the success of the Taliban emboldens other misogynistic regimes—manifests in various regions. Recently, Iraq has come up with a bill to legalize child marriage, and Houthi leaders in Yemen have implemented similar restrictions to the Taliban, constricting women’s freedoms and reinforcing patriarchal control. The conflict between the Taliban and Afghan women is not just a regional struggle; it is a battle between extremism and modernism, with implications that extend far beyond the borders of Afghanistan.
What happens in Afghanistan sets a dangerous precedent for the rest of the world. If the international community allows the Taliban to oppress women without consequence, it emboldens misogynistic regimes and extremist groups worldwide. This inaction sends a perilous message: that women’s rights can be trampled upon with impunity, and that extremism can be wielded as a tool to control and subjugate half of the population. Conversely, if the world stands firm in support of Afghan women, it can send a powerful message to all who seek to impose oppressive ideologies. The battle for women’s rights in Afghanistan is not just a local issue; it is a global one. The treatment of women in one nation reverberates across borders, influencing the course of human rights everywhere. The time to act is NOW, for the consequences of inaction will be felt far beyond the borders of Afghanistan, rippling through time and space, perpetuating a cycle of oppression that the world cannot afford to ignore.
To sum up:
Beneath the stars, their voices fall,
In shadows deep, they stand so tall.
A world where freedom’s dreams are torn,
And rights, like night, are never born.
In shadows deep, Afghan women mourn,
As rights are torn, their hopes forlorn,
The ripple spreads, beyond each border’s line,
A world in silence, where misogyny entwines.
