How the change of power has affected lives in Afghanistan especially of women

Introduction

A lot has changed since the exit of the US troops from Afghanistan and the subsequent takeover of the landlocked country by the Taliban. This dynamic shift in power came from the deal signed between the US and the Taliban in 2020. Post-2001, Afghanistan had undergone fairly extensive development, particularly on the human rights front with an increased number of activists coming forward and bringing about various reforms. The socio-economic condition of women in Afghanistan had steadily improved over the past 20 years. However today, they are scared and unsure with clouds of fear and confusion hanging over all the development they had fought for vigorously.

While setting up negotiating teams, the Taliban had chosen no women representatives, clearly raising concerns about the future of women in the country and their marginalization. Much like its rule in 1990 which was filled with instances of the Taliban fighters not only brutally imposing social restrictions on women but restricting their access to health care, education, and jobs. The women were also prohibited from appearing in public spaces without a male chaperon. All these years later, after regaining power over the afghan land in 2021, few of the first orders imposed by the Taliban have been following the same pattern – taking away jobs from women and giving them to their male counterparts, not allowing girls to go to schools, the constant threats of starvation and denying housing to the women who lost their male family members during the transition of power.

Another issue that concern every woman is the fear of abuse – be it mental, physical or sexual. Those holding the power now have often been associated with instances of exploitation and also bring back the dark memories and stories, reviving the fear in each heart and mind across the nation. The present situation has forced members of the queer community to go into hiding, as per reports.

The fall of Kabul, in 2021, into the hands of the Taliban can be traced back to sequences of events following the signing of the ‘Agreement for Bringing Peace to Afghanistan’ on 29 February 2020 between the US government and Taliban in Doha.1 The agreement was a simple barter, yet had a strict timeline and various conditions precluding its effective implementation, a doubt which still prevails in the heart and mind of many. According to the signed agreement, the United States government was to retreat all its forces, paramilitary troops, advisors, trainers and counsels in a phased manner with complete disengagement in 14 months from the signing of the contract. Whereas, the Taliban on the other hand signed to ensure that the soil of Afghanistan under its rule would not be used by any terror organization for propagating any threat towards the United States or its allies. Given the past experiences, various countries still do not recognise the Taliban as an effective government that can be entrusted upon running a nation.

Discussion 

The power shift in Afghanistan was watched with keen interest all across the world with the international media sharing some disturbing pictures and clips from the region. This transition has been far from peaceful and easy as it was initially predicted. Fearing the repetition of patterns of Taliban rule, various world organizations are apprehensive of life under the newly established Taliban government. During the negotiations following the fall of Kabul into the hands of the Taliban, the Taliban requested a peaceful transition of power to give a message of ‘New regime, New minds.’ However, the world saw the catastrophic images that accompanied the power shift. During the period between 14th August 2021 and 31st August 2021 i.e. when the last of the US troops left – the world saw the largest non-combatant evacuation mission with almost 123,000 people being airlifted from the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul which was the only way out since the borders we are seized by Taliban.

The civilians were gripped with fear and uncertainty wondering as to what could possibly happen next. The situation was even more worrisome for the women. They felt abandoned and betrayed by the Afghan officials and the NATO allies. Zarifa Ghafari, the former mayor of Maidan Shar who was working with the defence ministry in Kabul, told the media: “There is no one to help me or my family. I’m just sitting with them and my husband. And they will come for people like me and kill me. I can’t leave my family. And anyway, where would I go?”

The resentment against the Taliban draws its roots from philosophies that were followed and practised during the Taliban rule from 1996-2001, wherein women were forced to wear the burqa at all times in public, because, according to one Taliban spokesman, “the face of a woman is a source of corruption” for men not related to them. The Taliban followed systematic segregation based on Sharia law, sometimes referred to as gender apartheid, according to which women were not allowed to work, they were not allowed to receive education after the age of eight and were permitted only to learn the Quran.

The rules enforced by the Taliban in the past didn’t allow the women to appear in the streets without a blood relative or without wearing a burqa. Restrictions were imposed on clothing and footwear with a probability of it being inflammatory to men around them. Women were also banned from attending any public gatherings or being involved in any means of public communication like posters, newspapers, television or radio. These restrictions imposed on women clearly compromise their basic human rights. Moreover, the men were also restricted from watching any kind of electronic media, ordered to change their names to Islamic ones, and forced to wear turbans or caps.

On 17 August 2021, shortly after the takeover of Kabul by the Taliban, a senior member of the Taliban Cultural Commission, Enamullah Samangani, called on women to join the government. A move much anticipated and praised by world leaders. However, in early September, the Taliban in a separate statement said that women would not be allowed to “work in high-ranking posts” in the government and “ruled out” women participation in the cabinet. The transitional government established by intra-Afghanistan negotiations finally announced a Cabinet on 7th September which consisted purely of men. This move of forming a non-inclusive government was heavily criticized by the members of the European Union and other leaders all around the globe.

Fearing that the Taliban would make the wearing of the burqa mandatory and would target women who refuse to comply, the price of burqas skyrocketed due to demand. The apprehensions also forced female students to evacuate their university dormitories before the Taliban could reach them and the educated women across Kabul had to hide their diplomas, degrees and achievements in various academic and co-curricular fields.

All these developments have given rise to psychiatric disorders – the apprehension leading to anxiety, the loss of assets and identity leading to depression, losing loved ones due to separation or death has led to isolation and the general scenario leading to post-traumatic stress disorder. All this coupled with the ongoing constraints and abuses in the financial and physical spheres has forced a large number of individuals to take the road to suicide in order to put an end to their miseries. The current trauma has only added to the intergenerational trauma that many of the individuals in Afghanistan had already been dealing with.

The lack of inclusivity and propagation of fear has been taken up by various activists and leaders at different forums, all with the aim to not let the trauma go unrecognized and save the people of Afghanistan from spiralling back 20 years and losing on all the developments. Amidst this kind of uncertainty, Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres said that the Taliban’s desire for international recognition is the Security Council’s only leverage to press for inclusive government and respect for rights, particularly for women, in Afghanistan. He said a common front in dealing with the Taliban could push them to form an inclusive government, respect human rights, continue to allow evacuations from Kabul and prevent Afghanistan from becoming a safe haven for terrorism.

Modernisation brought about several changes in almost every society ranging from ultra-orthodox, conservative to nominally liberal societies. It also empowered women across the globe to readily take on various economic roles and the same culminated into huge economic, scientific or political success. This also helped them in liberating themselves from the shackles of entrenched economic dependence on their male counterparts. However, it did extend a physiological setback to the patriarchal society, something that did not go down well and laid out the fundamentals for the ideology of the Taliban run government.

Another aspect of modernisation that evades safety is the fragment of individuals recognizing themselves as homosexuals. Homosexuality is forbidden by Islam and is considered a crime under Sharia Law and thus accordingly has created havoc amidst the Queer community. Under the previous Taliban laws, same-sex acts are punishable offences with the death penalty. This has led to imminent fear in the minds of these people forcing them to elope Afghanistan or go into hiding, as they fear dire consequences.

The Taliban take over has not been perceived fervently due to all the prevailing doubts and reasons. On 17 August, a small protest was held by several women in Kabul demanding equal rights for women, the first reported women’s protest against the new regime. Various protests have followed thereafter in different regions all demanding restoration and protection of their rights as civilians with a fear of being apprehended and killed for going against the new system constantly choking them.

The views expressed in this publication are those of the author(s).

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