The Taliban has ordered women to cover their bodies from head to toe. According to instructions issued by the Taliban’s Ministry of Virtue Promotion, women should cover their entire faces except for their eyes and wear the burqa in public. The Taliban have also imposed disciplinary measures on violators of the order. The Taliban’s move has provoked widespread reactions among citizens. A number of human rights organizations, women activists, citizens and representatives of some countries have protested against the Taliban’s move. So far, the Taliban have imposed a long list of restrictions on women during their eight months in power.
“The time has come for countries whose foreign policy priorities are to plan and work together to protect Afghan women,” said Heather Barr, Co-director of the Women’s Rights Division at Human Rights Watch. At the same time, she has stressed that a serious and strategic response had to be given to the Taliban regarding their growing pressure on women before it could get to this point, which is deemed to be the worst scenario.
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has said in a statement that UNAMA, being one of the key players in promoting human rights and investing billions on women empowerment projects is very disappointed with the Taliban’s decision and is consulting with members of the international community to take a firm stand and decide on the consequences of such humiliating decrees that Taliban try to impose on women in Afghanistan.
UNAMA has raised deep concerns on the Taliban’s instruction that all women should cover their faces in public and should avoid public appearance to possible extend. Violating the decree would lead to the punishment of a male guardian of the respective women. The Office of the UNAMA has further said that, based on the available information, this is a formal guideline until an amendment is brought to the decree application.
“This decision runs counter to numerous assurances of respect for and protection of the human rights of all Afghans, including the women and girls that Taliban representatives have promised the international community in the past during their discussions and negotiations.” UNAMA in the statement further declares that statement said. “These assurances were repeated after the Taliban took control in August 2021 that women would entertain and practice their rights to work, rights to have access to education and rights to contribute effectively in the society in general.”
UNAMA’s statement further adds that international community was hopeful for a change based on signs indicated by Taliban that the group was ready to interact and establish a positive relationship with the world. Citing the Taliban’s decision on closing the education doors to girls above the sixth grade was widely condemned internationally, regionally and nationally. The United Nations has also said that the Taliban’s current decision on women’s appearance makes it even more difficult for the international community to cooperate and engage with this group effectively in the future.
Examples of the Taliban’s restrictive behavior toward women are the ban on women’s employment, the closure of girls’ schools above the sixth grade, gender segregation, the segregation of female government employees, restrictions on women’s travel, and the implementation of a compulsory hijab.
Rina Amiri, the State Department’s special envoy for women and human rights, tweeted that the Taliban would continue to pursue policies of repression on women and girls instead of addressing the economic crisis and the need for inclusive government. She added that in solidarity with the people of Afghanistan and the international community, she calls for an end to the Taliban’s “oppressive” actions, the reopening of girls’ schools and the employment of women in public and private sectors.
EU Ambassador to Afghanistan Von Brandt tweeted that the Taliban has violated “the freedom of half of Afghanistan’s population”. He described the issue as “a serious challenge” and said that the Taliban is focusing on minor issues rather than fundamental ones. “The main problem with the continuation of the Taliban regime is four things: the violation of the freedom of 50 percent of Afghanistan’s population, addressing the least important issues, ignoring real problems such as food, health, education and the economy, and alienating donors,” he has tweeted recently.
Shahrzad Akbar, the former head of the Independent Human Rights Commission, called the Taliban’s act as gender apartheid, saying that the world is watching the suffering of Afghan women. Ms Akbar described the Taliban as “women’s enemies”.
A number of political figures have also reacted to this issue. Citizens and women have also criticized the Taliban’s conservative and humiliating decision and moves concerning women and girls’ rights in Afghanistan. Citizens say that the Taliban, instead of addressing the fundamental issues that are the responsibility of the government, seeks to limit the presence of women in society.
Many have compared the new Taliban order to the group’s behavior in the 1990s. During their previous reign, the Taliban in 1990s had banned women from participating in society and had imposed harsh conditions on them. Compulsory hijab, deprivation of education, not being allowed to leave home, as well as not being allowed to travel and acts of violence are unforgettable features of the five years of Taliban rule when they first took over the control of the country in 1990s. The group is now seeking to revive the “emirate” whose officials have repeatedly said that they have changed their views on women and respect women’s rights. But they have very negatively failed to practice what they are trying to portray at the international platforms.
During a meeting on Saturday, the Taliban’s Ministry of Virtue Promotion announced the restrictive type of hijab as wearing a burqa and stressed that wearing hijab is an “obligation and necessity” for adult women. The plan also warns government employees that they will be fired if they do not wear the hijab. To implement and deal with the families of women who do not comply with this decree, four steps have been considered: First, the address of the woman found guilty of violating the decree would be identified to physically meet the male guardian of the family and explain the decree. Second, the head of the family who is a male guardian would be summoned. Third, he would be imprisoned for three days and fourth, the guardian of the woman would be punished and tortured according to the Sharia law.
The Taliban’s new order also sets out duties for the media outlets and the mosques clerks to campaign in favour of the decrees and encourage the people to obey the decrees accordingly.
Since the Taliban have seized power, they have imposed severe restrictions on women’s participation in society, work and women’s education, which has provoked strong national and international reactions.
Since August 2021, the Taliban have been investing resources and budget for turning the country into a hell by imposing restrictions on the bases of vague religious arguments and interfering in personal matters of the civilians, particularly on women and girls.
In contrast to their promises they had made before entering Kabul, they have closed the education doors to girls and have been consecutively violating the human rights for the promotion of which international community had invested millions of dollar and even paid the price with the lives of their humanitarian aid workers and promoters.
[highlight color=”gray”]Hasht-e Subh Persian[/highlight]