Women's rights in Taliban's Afghanistan

Women's  rights means that women have Equal standing as men such as :  

·      The right to vote 

·      The right to work 

·      The right to express one's opinion 

·      The right to be treated with dignity  

·      The right to self-determination (to make decisions on one’s own) 

These rights can't be taken for granted in many countries like Afghanistan.  

Women in Afghanistan had to fight for more rights until Afghanistan was taken over by the Taliban . 

Sakira Husain who lives in Afghanistan said in a DW Interview about the current situation: “The Wives and daughters suffer the most under the Terror of the Taliban.”

But what is happening now in Afghanistan? 

The Taliban has nearly conquered the whole country. The Taliban aims to spread “Sharia law” in the country, which would create a religious state system where women rights aren’t recognized.  

Sharia law says that women have to stay home and cook, that women aren’t allowed to work outside of the home: and if they do, they paid less than men. 

What has changed in Afghanistan since the Taliban’s rule?  

After the Taliban took over, women in Afghanistan: 

·      Weren’t allowed to study  

·      To visit public transportation without a male escort  

·      Women have to stay home and cook 

·      Women can’t visit public places without their male partner  

·      Had to leave positions in Parliament. 

But even before the Taliban conquered Afghanistan, women couldn’t make decisions on their own. According to “UN Afghanistan,” girls get forced to marry before turning 18 in Afghanistan.  

In fact, when a woman gets raped in Afghanistan, it is considered  her fault; she is the “preparator of adultery”,  says the Afghan government . Feminist and women’s rights activist get killed, and the government is ignoring it  supporting these criminals. 

Or, like the case of the girl called Ruhshana, who fled from a forced marriage in 2015 and was given a death penalty. 

Or the story of Gulnaz, a 20-year-old woman, who was sent for two weeks to prison for being raped. After getting freed, she had to marry her rapist.

She said, “There are women in Afghanistan who are single mothers who are able to work and survive.” According to The Guardian, she is a victim of a misogynist system. 

Germany and many other European countries value women and respect their rights. Although there is still much progress to be made, women have mobility, in general, can get any job if they want, even if work is gendered. Germany also has “Mutterschutz,” where women get paid during the time they’re pregnant, but get paid a bit less than a man.

But Afghanistan has also had some women’s right victories. Women could vote in 1919, before the right to vote was given to women in many other nations. They could attend school in 1921. Afghan Women reached many goals over hundreds of years, but lost many over the course of a few days in the current situation. 250k women have since left the country.  

Woman in Afghanistan were in the Parliament, with 21% participation. Woman who worked as judges tried rapists, but when the Taliban conquered the country, these women were first kicked out of their positions, then targeted.  

At UN Afghanistan, you can support the women in Afghanistan with financial support.