This blog is written to show solidarity with women's struggle in Afghanistan and bring out their voices and narrative as they live in fear and uncertainty after the resurgence of the militant regime in Afghanistan.

A 'dark future' for women in Afghanistan

A new picture from Afganistan is surfing on the internet. On the 18th of August 2021, an AKP photographer captured a chilling photo from Kabul where we can see a Taliban fighter walking past a beauty salon with images of women defaced using spray paint. For women in Afganisthan, this picture is a visual reminder of the 'dark future' that holds for them after the resurgence of the Taliban rule. Since the US has withdrawn its troops from Afghanistan, the Taliban have seized power and captured major cities, resulting in anxiety and fear among several Afghan women. "I've lost my hope for the future," an Afghan woman working in the government for more than two years told BBC.

Where is this fear coming from?

Let us go back to women's struggle in the 1990s under the military regime. During the Taliban rule from 1996-2001, women were not allowed to go to school, work or even leave their homes without a male chaperone. They were forced to wear a burqa in public spaces, and if women disobeyed any of these rules, they were subjected to harsh punishments. The laws imposed by the Taliban stripped every basic human right of Afghan women and children, and women's voices remained confined within their private spheres. However, as the US invaded Afghanistan in 2001, restrictions on women eased. The local commitment to improving women's rights led to the creation of stricter laws to protect women's access to education and work, supported by international groups and donors.

As reported in Time Magazine, over the past 20 years, emancipated from Taliban control of the country, women have filled university hallways, offices, traveled freely across the country, and further have nearly joined every aspect of public life. Women are now seen even in the military, government, and judiciary practices. The list of their achievements is anything but exhaustive: Afghan women and girls have even formed a national cricket team, played in the Olympics and won several international science competitions. However, two decades of gains in rights and liberties for the women of Afghanistan now "hang by a thread" as many women are yet again confined in the private spaces as they fear reprisals.

Hard-won rights and liberties replaced with stress and fear

"I burnt all of my university papers and documents. I burnt all my notes of achievements and certificates. I did it on our balcony. I have a lot of books, lovely books, that I was reading. I have hidden them all," a Kabul university student said. Not only did she destroy her educational record, but she has also deactivated all her social media accounts. She further said even 13 and 14-year-old girls have started to wear a burqa in the country. Since the entry of the Taliban, university professors have gathered female students to bid their final goodbyes as they believe girls will be barred from accessing education under Sharia law.

Another Kabul student reported in the Guardian that the police evacuated them from the university and said that the Taliban would beat women if they do not put on a burqa. She said, "as a woman, I feel like I am the victim of this political war that men started. I felt like I can no longer laugh out loud, I can no longer listen to my favourite songs, I can no longer meet my friends in our favourite cafe, I can no longer wear my favourite yellow dress or pink lipstick. And I can no longer go to my job or finish the university degree that I worked for years to achieve".

Women in Afghanistan are stressed that the Taliban might put an oppressive regime back in place, with one woman in Kabul telling CNN that those who had jobs are scared to go outside. "Everyone is afraid of the likelihood that the Taliban will stop them outside or put their lives in some form of danger," she said. Female politicians have been detained, and women journalists have been told to work from home by the militant group. Under the Taliban regime, women had disappeared in Afghanistan, without rights, without freedom, without dignity and hope. A UN report in July stated that the "number of women and girls killed and injured in the first six months of 2021 has doubled from the same period last year. In areas controlled by the Taliban, girls have been banned from returning to school, and there have been reports of several forced marriages.

Taliban respect for women's rights and everyone's freedoms?

"Everyone is waiting to see what laws and rules the Taliban are planning for the people". For Afghan men, this issue might not be as concerning, but women of Afghanistan are worried and are asking the question: Will we really go back to the '90s after 20 years of so much hard work and progress? Or will the situation be better this time?"

While the Taliban has claimed to be more respectful of women's rights and provide freedom to opponents and media, the situation on the ground seems to be different, especially for women. "No one feels safe", "no one trusts anything that comes from the Taliban's mouth". This is what we get to hear from Afghan women when asked about what life is like under Taliban rule. Many women are sceptical that the Taliban will stay true to their words and live in fear and uncertainty of what life will look like for them in the future.

Across the globe, women have consistently been fighting for their rights, with uneven but important successes. In the last 20 years, women and girls in Afghanistan have enjoyed a measure of freedom and are demanding more of it. The bare minimum that the international community can do is stand beside women in their struggle and find tools to pressure the Taliban and the political will in Afghanistan.

See also:

The Taliban Captured Kabul in 2021 but the War Was Lost a Long Time Ago

Aghanistan crisis and implications for the future