Recently, China announced its new ambassador to Afghanistan, Zhao Xing, who presented himself at a lavish ceremony in Kabul last week. He is the first foreign envoy to occupy an ambassador position since the Taliban took power in August 2021. The Taliban has not been officially recognized by any government, but they celebrated this moment […]
Human Rights Crimes Against Former Government Officials Further Solidifies Taliban’s Grip of Power on Afghanistan
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan released a report recently calling attention to several instances of human rights violations by the Taliban against former government officials across 34 different provinces in the country, with the greatest occurring in Kabul. To date, there have been at least 800 instances of extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrest, torture […]
“Immeasurably Cruel” Oppression of Afghan Women and a Further Collapse of Human Rights
The United Nations Rights Chief accused the Taliban of a “shocking level of oppression” of women and girls, and said that more broadly, human rights in the country were in “collapse.” The observation and fulfillment of human rights in Afghanistan has been in steady decline since the takeover of the government by the Taliban in […]
What is “Freedom” to the Taliban? The Taliban’s Constricted Vision for Afghanistan’s Future.
The Taliban has remained firm and doubled down on its vision for the future of Afghanistan. Since its takeover of the Afghan government 2 years ago, it established a de facto government, composed of different ministries to impose their interpretation of an “Islamic” rule and rollback the achievements of the former government. The Taliban has […]
Coco Gauff thanks Billie Jean King after winning the U.S. Open
Image by Marijana from Pixabay At just 19, Coco Gauff became one of the youngest women to win the U.S. Open, and she made a point to thank the women who came before her. As she accepted her $3 million prize, Gauff turned to tennis icon Billie Jean King and said “Thank you Billie. For […]
Mexico’s Supreme Court just decriminalized abortion nationwide – but the fight’s not over yet
Mexico’s highest court unanimously ruled that previous laws banning abortion were unconstitutional and breached human rights. On Wednesday, the court “resolved that the legal system that criminalizes abortion in the Federal Criminal Code is unconstitutional, as it violates the human rights of women and the capacity to gestate.” In the press release, the Supreme Court […]
Anti-Abortion Extremists Charged With Breaking Federal Law in Historic Justice Department Conviction
Lauren Handy outside the Supreme Court on June 24, 2022, the day the Court overturned Roe v. Wade. (Eric Lee / The Washington Post via Getty Images) Emotions ran high over the past few weeks as reproductive rights activists watched United States v. Lauren Handy et al., play out in federal court. On Tuesday, a […]
Ethnic and Religious Minorities Face Systemic Discrimination Under Taliban Rule in Afghanistan
The Taliban’s rise to power in 2021 raised concerns about their treatment of ethnic and religious minorities in the country, who had been persecuted during the first Taliban regime. Shi’ite Muslim, Sikh, Hindu, and other religious minorities suffer systemic discrimination under Taliban rule. In the 1980s, there were around 100,000 Hindus and Sikhs across the […]
More Decrees Issued by The Taliban and the Ongoing Dangers Faced by Afghan Women
August 15th marked the 2-year-anniversary of the Taliban takeover in 2021. Since then, the Taliban has issued over 100 edicts and orders, taking away the human rights of Afghan women and impacting all aspects of life. The latest decree on park visits only adds to the long list of Taliban restrictions against Afghan women and […]
North Carolina’s GOP controlled state legislature overrides vetoes to pass anti-trans laws
On Wednesday, Republican supermajorities in the North Carolina House and Senate overrode Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto on three anti-trans bills, stripping transgender youth of their rights to access gender-affirming healthcare, to play sports, and to learn about gender identity and sexual orientation in schools. House Bill 808- “Gender Transition Procedures on Minors” The first […]
Ohio’s Abortion Rights Future: Issue 1 Defeat Highlights Voter Commitment
Ohioans Vote for Abortion Rights, Defeating Issue 1 Last week, Ohioans overwhelmingly voted against a ballot measure that would make it harder to amend the state’s constitution. The hotly contested election served as a proxy battle between pro-abortion and anti-abortion forces committed to winning victory in the upcoming November 2023 ballot initiative to add abortion […]
The Costly Price of Gender Apartheid: Afghanistan’s Brain Drain in the Face of Taliban Rule
Afghanistan faces a bleak future as the Taliban’s oppressive regime takes hold, exacerbating the country’s brain drain crisis, with educated Afghans seeking safety elsewhere, leaving behind a fractured society struggling to retain its intellectual capital. Many Afghans have sooner or later come to realize that the Taliban’s empty promises of a reformed leadership were crafted […]
A Lack of Strategy for US Foreign Policy in Afghanistan Means an Uncertain Future for Both Countries
Since its withdrawal from the country in August 2021 and the return of the Taliban, the US has lacked a comprehensive foreign policy strategy for Afghanistan. This sentiment has been made especially clear in the meeting that State Department representatives attended in Doha to negotiate with Taliban representatives. This was the first known meeting between […]
Afghan Girls Above Age 10 are Barred from Primary Schools in Afghanistan, Casting a Shadow on Education
Girls over the age of 10 have been banned from attending primary school in Afghanistan in the latest edict issued by the Taliban-led Ministry of Education. Taliban leaders met with school principals in certain provinces and told them strictly that “any girl over 10 years of age is not allowed to study in primary schools.” […]
Unveiling Tyranny: Taliban’s Decree restricts women’s movement & Deepens Gender Apartheid
In its latest decree, the Taliban’s Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice stated that women must observe the full “hijab” in order to ride in taxi vehicles. The decree not only targets Afghan women, but penalizes male guardians of women who defy the Taliban’s policing of women’s lives and face punishment […]
Amnesty Denied for Prosecutors Marks a Growing Threat to Afghanistan’s Judicial System
In response to a recent claim by Taliban officials that there are no threats against prosecutors or judges in Afghanistan, the International Organization for Transitional Justice and Peace (ITJP) has released a statement outlining the very real threat that members of the justice system face. In the statement, ITJP disputes the claim made by the […]
Afghan Journalists in Jeopardy and the Taliban’s Tightening Grip on Media Freedom
The Taliban has halted local TV network’s broadcasts in Nangarhar province in eastern Afghanistan. Hamesha Bahar TV and Radio network was the outlet targeted in a Taliban raid of the office on Monday. This is not an isolated incident, nor the first of its kind, as the media outlet had a similar situation and treatment […]
US officials and Taliban leaders engage in talks in Qatar amid mounting concerns over normalization of the Taliban
Amidst a backdrop of heightened tensions and uncertainties, US officials and Taliban leaders met in Qatar for two days. In an announcement made by the head of its political office in Doha, the Taliban revealed that talks commenced between a Taliban delegation and US representatives on July 30. While engagement is deemed necessary, especially to […]
The Political Offside: Politics Takes the Field in Afghan Women’s Fight to Play Soccer
Thousands gathered at a stadium in Brisbane to watch Australia’s World Cup match against Nigeria. Among the crowd, sitting close to the pitch were players from the Afghan women’s national team, who are now exiled. They dream of representing their country again, as they have done in the past. Currently, however, the national team is […]
Indiana’s near total abortion ban currently paused
Indiana’s latest extreme abortion ban was set to go into effect today, but remains on hold as the ACLU has filed a petition to the state Supreme Court challenging the law. The ban would outlaw abortions in all cases, except rape and incest, but only in the first 10 weeks of pregnancy. The health of […]
