The Taliban has banned education for Afghan girls and women beyond the 6th grade for over three years and higher education for two years. Until recently, the only pathway for education that remained was medical institutions for Afghan women. Two weeks ago, the Taliban announced that female students would be barred from attending medical institutions […]
Human Rights Day – A Day of Mourning for Afghan Women
December 10 is International Human Rights Day. It is a day to commemorate human rights for all regardless of their background, ethnicity, and gender. In Afghanistan, this day stands as a stark reminder of the fundamental rights Afghan women have been denied by the Taliban regime. Afghan women are mourning the loss of their fundamental […]
Taliban: “80 Percent of Women’s Rights have been Provided”
When the Taliban took power in 2021, Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban’s spokesman, promised that “the Taliban would honor women’s rights within the norms of Islamic law.” Three years later, Sait-ul-Islam Khyber, the Taliban’s spokesman for their Ministry of Vice and Virtue, said “80% of women’s rights have been provided to them. These rights include marriage, […]
After the United Nations General Assembly – What’s Next for Afghan Women and Girls?
Photo by de:Benutzer:Eborutta The fight and advocacy must go on louder and more effective. During the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) meetings in September, the situation of Afghan women and girls received a significant focus. A few major events, including “Global Solidarity with Afghan Women and Girls” and “The Inclusion of Women in the Future of […]
Afghanistan Under the Taliban is “A Graveyard for Women’s Dreams”
Photo by Nk Ni The Taliban has not stopped their aggressive efforts of restricting and regulating women’s lives. Late August of 2024, the Taliban released a 114 page, 35-article that proved to be the “first formal declaration of the vice and virtue laws in Afghanistan since the takeover.” Edicts in the article include: a mandatory call […]
Three Years Without Education: Its Impacts on Afghan Girls and Afghanistan
Photo by Nk Ni September marked 3 years since the Taliban banned education beyond the secondary level for Afghan girls. More than 1,100 days have passed and there is no progress in reinstating education for girls in Afghanistan. The absence of education has also led to mental health issues – teenage girls struggling everyday not being […]
Four Countries Take Taliban to the International Court of Justice Over Gender Apartheid
Photo by *rboed* In a historic move, four countries — Canada, Germany, Australia, and the Netherlands — are taking the Taliban to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over their severe violations of women’s and girls’ rights in Afghanistan. The announcement at the UN General Assembly marks a significant international response to what many are calling […]
Afghanistan’s Health System in Decline: More Clinics Forced to Close Under the Taliban Rule
Photo by Hush Naidoo Jade Photography Before the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in 2021, “donor development aid for Afghanistan’s public health system was approximately six times the government’s own expenditure on health.” Since August 2021, after the Taliban took power by force, international funding has significantly decreased as many donors pulled their funds. Given Afghanistan’s heavy […]
Apartness: How South Africa’s History of Apartheid Guides the Future for Afghanistan’s Women and Girls
Photo by Gregory Fullard In 1973, after decades of racist policies by South Africa’s National Party, the United Nations ratified a document that officially defined racial apartheid. This convention defined the crime of apartheid as “inhuman acts committed for the purpose of establishing and maintaining domination by one racial group of persons over any other racial […]
Taliban: Female Athletes Do Not Represent Afghanistan at the Paris Olympics This Month
Photo by Bo Zhang The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has invited six Afghan athletes – three women and three men – in “consultation with Afghanistan’s largely exiled national Olympic committee.” However, the spokesman for the Taliban government’s sports directorate, Atal Mashwani, said “only three athletes are representing Afghanistan.” He continued, “in Afghanistan girls’ sports have been […]
Increased Flogging of Women by the Taliban: The Urgent Need for International Accountability to End the Brutality
Photo by DVIDSHUB In March of this year, the Taliban’s Supreme Leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, announced that the Taliban regime would resume the public stoning of women for crimes like adultery. The Taliban argues that this is “in line with Sharia and Islamic law” and will also punish other “moral crimes” in a similar fashion. […]
U.N. Report: Taliban’s Treatment of Women is Gender Apartheid
Photo by by United Nations Photo On June 18, the United Nation’s Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Afghanistan, Richard Bennett, presented a mandated report to the U.N.’s High Commissioner for Human Rights. The report states that the “phenomenon of an institutionalized system of discrimination, segregation, disrespect for human dignity and exclusion of women […]
International Human Rights Groups Demand Afghan Women’s Participation in the Third Doha Meeting
Photo by Mathias Reding In a letter to the UN, the NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security – expressed the growing concern about how the international community lacks the “necessary resolve to defend and advocate for the human rights of Afghan women and girls.” This will be the third Doha meeting, taking place in […]
At the Doha Conference, the Decision to Give Afghan Women Their Seats at the Table Must Be Clear
Photo by Salya T June 30th will mark over 1,000 days since the closing of secondary schools for girls and 500 days since the edict banning women from receiving a university education. The United Nations will be hosting the annual Doha Meeting in Qatar on June 30th where various countries and special envoys, including the UN […]
Afghanistan: Where history repeats itself at the expense of women
Photo by Canada in Afghanistan / Canada en Afghanistan This article is adapted from an opinion piece by Dr. Sima Samar, originally published in Ms. Magazine. Dr. Sima Samar is a human rights advocate and medical doctor who belongs to Afghanistan’s ethnic Hazara minority group. Dr. Samar served as Minister of Women’s Affairs from 2001 to […]
Malnutrition: The Hidden Struggle of Afghan Women and Children
In times of conflict, political instability, and social unrest, women and children have always been the ones who face the most dire consequences compared to the rest of the population. It is nearly three years since the Taliban returned to power and their extremist views and restricting edicts against Afghan women has been one of […]
Afghan Women Express Dread and Anxiety at the Possibility of Taliban Recognition
In a country-wide women’s consultation conducted by three UN agencies, Afghan women have expressed “dread” and “anxiety” at the possibility of international recognition of the Taliban. 67% of women have said that recognition would severely affect their lives, especially as the Taliban is now often referred to as the de facto authorities (DFA). The consultations […]
The Taliban Leader’s Order to Resume Public Stoning of Afghan Women Must Serve as an Urgent Call to End Gender Apartheid
In a distressing new statement released from Taliban leader Haibatullah Akhundzada, the Taliban chief condones the public stoning of women for committing what the Taliban deems as adultery and other ‘crimes and violations’ of strict Taliban edicts. Such harsh and barbaric violence against women is the next step taken by the Taliban and their ruler […]
A new academic year begins in Afghanistan without girls as the Taliban continues to deny their education
Spring is a season that signifies fresh opportunities, growth and hope. This month is also marked with the celebration of International Women’s Day on March 8th. However, for Afghan women and girls, the reality is very different as they continue to be oppressed by an extreme gender apartheid. In Afghanistan, the school year begins in […]
International Women’s Day: Afghan Women Endure Gender Apartheid
As the world marked March 8th, International Women’s Day, women in Afghanistan feel they have “nothing to celebrate.” Women’s Day is meant to be a day dedicated to the fight to achieve gender equality and advance women’s well-being and progress in various social, political and economic aspects of life. But in Afghanistan, the increasingly austere […]
