“The Taliban in Afghanistan do not see women as human beings,” Malala Yousafzai, Nobel Peace Prize laureate, said.
To be banned from exceeding an education beyond the sixth grade, or to be beaten from speaking in public, is now the horrifying reality for everyday women within the country of Afghanistan. In the most frightful ways imaginable, these women are not only being oppressed, but are fearing extensive jail time and even the possibility of death for opposing their oppressors, the Taliban.
The Taliban is an Islamist militant group that originated in Afghanistan during a period of chaos following the withdrawal of Soviet forces and the collapse of Afghanistan’s communist government in the early 1990s. Since this period, the Taliban have had multiple rises and falls in power, including a rise in 2021, which has lasted to the present day. Since this recent surge, the Taliban have integrated over 70 orders that directly target the autonomy, rights, and daily lives of women and girls. A few of those orders demand women to cover up their faces and bodies head to toe to “prevent temptation,” banning them from leaving their homes without a male chaperone, or forcing their silence as the Taliban believe a woman’s voice is never to be heard. These acts of human rights violations justified as “religious practices,” provide just a mere glimpse of the injustice Afghan women face day and night.
Furthermore, locations such as salons and fitness centers specially curated for women have been shut down by the Taliban, leaving them to suffer in silence alone. These matters only worsen as women are additionally banned from all public parks and job opportunities, leaving them with nothing but their own homes as an aspect of safety—except not even homes can be a guaranteed safe space, as it is not uncommon for them to be in a forced marriage in order to settle debts or disputes. These women are not treated nor even viewed as people. CHS psychology and government teacher Beth Bodnar offered her insight.
“Any law can be interpreted in many ways, but this is an abuse,” Bodnar said. “Any time we see something extreme, it’s probably not religious in nature; it is probably extremists who are calling it religious.”
Serious crimes such as domestic violence and marital rape have become normalized, leaving women to endure endless varieties of abuse not only inside their homes, but outside them as well. To live within a country with an ongoing war against women has resulted in many of them taking their own lives. 80% of suicides in Afghanistan are done by women. With Taliban rule, it is common for women to feel as if they have lost their sense of purpose and, ultimately, their reasons to persevere. These issues have created a serious mental health crisis within the country and have led many to suicide. Additionally, it is common for one to take their life after speaking upon abuse within marriage, as it is seen as a form of dishonor to their families and even shameful. Truly, they have no escape as every aspect of their lives only becomes more difficult than the last. During their final moments, when a woman is going to take her life, it is common for her to burn herself alive—known to symbolize the intensity of her pain and her desperation to escape.
There are no words that can truly capture what it means to be a woman in Afghanistan, but there are ways communities can contribute forms of service.
“Large groups of people can make a big difference in terms of contacting their representatives to put pressure on these countries,” Bodnar said. “By writing to our congressional representatives reminding them that we’re watching, and that we care, adds some pressure. If that happens collectively across the country, then this is how people pay attention to certain issues.”
Furthermore, international organizations such as the United Nations, UN Women, and the World Bank can also be targeted by advocacy campaigns to encourage increased funding and interventions tied to protecting women’s rights within Afghanistan. Independently individuals can additionally support trusted organizations, such as Women for Women International or the Malala Fund. These organizations provide education, shelter, and healthcare through donations and fundraising. With combined efforts, communities can help generate the public pressure needed to influence those with the power to create meaningful and lasting change–a change that will provide women in Afghanistan a future of great possibility, rather than a desire to escape.
