By Namya Sinha
Girls and women have lost access to basic rights under the Taliban regime.
Ever since retaking power in 2021, the Taliban have ordered the most brutal reversal of women's rights. Women and girls have lost access to education, jobs, public spaces, and even basic rights—many of which most of us would take for granted. Women around the world have been fighting for their rights, and this has dealt a grievous blow to all those efforts. Upon their return, the Taliban have established the most regressive government. Actor Meryl Streep, who attended an event in September last year as part of the UN General Assembly in New York, spoke about the situation facing women and girls in Afghanistan. She said, "A squirrel has more rights than a girl in Afghanistan today because the public parks have been closed to women and girls by the Taliban. A bird may sing in Kabul, but a girl may not, and a woman may not in public."
So, how is the Taliban making life for women in Afghanistan a living hell?
No Right to Education and Jobs
Since coming to power, the Taliban's education ministry has banned girls and women from schools. Girls have been barred from studying beyond the sixth standard. Those who were attending universities and colleges were forced to leave, with many being sent back at gunpoint.
Women have also been banned from government and private jobs, which has severely impacted much-needed international aid work.
The Most Bizarre Ban on Hearing Their Voices
One of the most atrocious rules imposed by the Taliban is a ban on hearing women's voices. Women are forbidden from reading, singing, or speaking in public. According to the Taliban's interpretation of Sharia law, the voice of a woman is considered a source of temptation. Women face punishment if their voice is even heard within their own homes.
No Windows for Women
The Taliban's supreme leader has issued an order banning the construction of windows in residential buildings that overlook areas used by Afghan women.The Taliban government's spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, wrote in a post on X, "Seeing women working in kitchens, in courtyards, or collecting water from wells can lead to obscene acts."
Closure of Midwifery and Nursing Programs for Women
In December last year, the Taliban issued a decree barring all female medical students from attending college. This led to the closure of critical midwifery and nursing programs in Afghanistan, cutting off the last lifeline for women and girls aspiring to pursue higher education.