In Afghanistan, the Taliban’s oppressive rule has restricted women’s rights more than ever. As Hollywood actor Meryl Streep highlighted at the United Nations, a female cat in Kabul has more freedom than an Afghan woman. The Taliban’s return to power in August 2021 has drastically eroded Afghan women’s rights. This is evident in their banning girls from education and confining women to their homes.
The Taliban has closed beauty salons, barred women from universities, and banned travel without a male guardian. Public parks, once open to everyone, are now closed to women and girls, leaving them without basic freedoms. “A bird may sing in Kabul, but a girl may not,” Streep noted. She emphasized the brutal realities of life for Afghan women under the Taliban’s regime.
Despite the Taliban’s claim of respecting rights within their interpretation of Islamic law, their strict enforcement of morality rules has made life unbearable for women. The U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has pointed out that without access to education and jobs, Afghan women are being denied their fundamental human rights. A nation cannot thrive if you exclude half its population from contributing to society.
The plight of Afghan women raises crucial questions for global discussion. How can the world stand by while Afghan women are systematically denied their freedoms? What can we do to protect women’s rights in regions facing gender bias and oppression?
As the fight for women’s rights continues in Afghanistan, the international community must step up and support Afghan women in reclaiming their power and voice. The struggle for gender equality in Afghanistan is a global issue that demands urgent attention.
