Silence in Afghanistan

What is happening in Afghanistan in terms of women's rights? One thing is for sure: it is not going in the right direction. The Taliban have officially silenced women, preventing them from raising their voices and showing their faces in public.

Women cover their full body to comply with harsh Taliban regulations.

The reign of the Taliban in Afghanistan began in 1994 when it first formed. This religious group heavily consisted of former Mujahideen fighters and students from religious schools who promised to restore order and enforce strict Islamic law. Ever since their beginning, they have not stopped terrorizing innocent lives of young girls and women. Since returning to power in August 2021, they have enforced many more harsh and strict restrictions forbidding women of basic human rights.

~Current Situations~

To start, girls' secondary education (grades 7-12) and access to universities has been stopped. Women have even gone to the extent of attending private education centers or learning from one another. However, the ban has darkened that road. Education is not the only affected area for young girls and women. The Taliban have gone as far as dictating what they are not allowed and allowed to wear in public. Women must wear a full-body covering (burqa or abaya) in public and must not show any skin. Although this is the culture in many Islamic religions, women are still allowed to show their faces or at the least their eyes. However, the Taliban has gone as far as restricting a sign of skin from women. Another rule women must follow is being locked in their houses unless they absolutely need to, and even then, they must be accompanied by a male guardian for long-distance travel. Just like education, women have no space in the workplace, nor are they allowed to operate NGOs and international organizations. Along with that, women-owned and operated salons and businesses have been shut down or heavily restricted.

~Zahra's Story~

Women who defy the Taliban's rule face serious consequences, including threats, arrests, or worse. That is why many stories (such as this one) are shared under a pseudonym to protect the innocent women involved.

19-year-old Zahra from Kabul was in her second year of studying computer science at a university when the Taliban banned women from higher education in 2022. She had big dreams of becoming a software engineer and teaching young girls in tech.

When the ban hit, her whole world stopped. The classroom was suddenly empty and her laptop gathered dust. She now studies in secret at home, attending online courses when she can, constantly fearing the knock of the Taliban patrols at her door.

Zahra's younger sister, who is in 9th grade, was also forced to stop attending school. Zahra says, "They took away our books, our dreams, our futures. But they can't take our minds. We are still learning---even if it's behind closed doors."

Zahra is one of millions of young girls and women who are being stripped of basic rights such as education, voicing opinions and concerns, and even stepping out into public. These opportunities may seem trivial to us, but they are the world of many individuals, and it is our duty as a human and sisters to help them overcome such harsh and unjust obstacles to reach the dream they rightfully deserve.

~Gender Apartheid~

This type of heavy restriction towards a specific gender is called gender apartheid, named by the United Nations and other human rights organizations. The Taliban's goal is to erase women from public life and it has led to widespread fear, depression, and resistance among Afghan women.

Many wrongs are happening in our world, and most are being done right under us. Women have been fighting for autonomy, independence, and basic human rights since the beginning of time, and yet they still seem to be fighting for the same reasons as they were decades ago. There is no change. The only constant thing is the silence over women. Silence that has grown so extensive that it is beginning to become loud. The smallest hint of awareness and action can change the lives of so many women. Join us today to amplify the voices of innocent young girls and women around the world.