Afghanistan: Taliban Deprive Women of Livelihoods, Identity

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Taliban rules have a devastating impact on women and girls Afghanistan, new research shows, Human Rights Watch and Human Rights Institute at San Jose State University (SJSU) said today. The organization saw conditions for women since the Taliban took control in Ghazni Province, in Southeast Afghanistan.

Since controlling the city of Ghazni on August 12, 2021, the days before entering the capital of Afghanistan, Kabul, the Taliban had imposed a policy of violating rights that had created a major obstacle to women’s health and education, limiting freedom of movement, expression, and associations, and losing a lot income obtained. The humanitarian crisis that rapidly increased Afghanistan worsened this violation. After the Taliban takeover, millions of dollars in income loss, spiking prices, cut-off relief, liquidity crisis, and lack of money triggered by former donor countries, especially the United States, has seized many populations access to food, water, residence, and care health.

afghan women and daughters face the collapse of their rights and dreams and risks to their basic survival,” said Halima Kazem-Stojanovic, a member of the core faculty of the SJSU Human Rights Institute and a scholar in Afghanistan. “They are trapped between the abuse and actions of the Taliban by the international community that encourage Afghanistan to be more desperate every day.”

Human Rights Watch and SJSU far interviewed 10 women today or recently in Ghazni Province, including those who have worked in education, health care, social services, and former students.

They describe spiral prices for food, transportation, and school books, coupled with sudden loss of income and often total. Many are single wages or primary televisions for their families, but most of the loss of work because the Taliban policy limits women’s access to work. Only those who work in basic education or health care can still work, and most are not paid because of the financial crisis.

Taliban has banned women and women from secondary and high education, and change the curriculum to focus more on religious studies. They dictate what should be used by women, how they have to travel, separation in the workplace based on gender, and even what type of cellphone must be owned by women. They enforce these rules through intimidation and inspection.

The future looks dark,” said a woman who had worked in the government. “I have a lot of dreams, want to keep learning and work. I think of doing my master. At present, they [Taliban] don’t even allow girls to finish high school.”

Women said they had an acute feeling of insecure because the Taliban had dismantled the formal police and the Ministry of Women, was extorting money and food from the community, and targeting the intimidation women they see as enemies, such as those who work for foreigners organizations and the Afghan government previously. Most of the people interviewed quote the consequences of serious mental health since the Taliban takeover, including fear, anxiety, despair, insomnia, and a sense of loss and deep helplessness.

The crisis for women and girls in Afghanistan has increased endlessly,” said Heather Barr, associating the director of women’s rights at Human Rights Watch. “Taliban’s policy has quickly changed many women and women into virtual prisoners in their homes, seizing the country from one of the most valuable resources, skills and talents of half the women’s population.”