Breaking Barriers: UN Rings Alarm Bells as Taliban Tightens Grip on Women’s Rights

06-10-2023

Naira ElTonsy

Middle East and Human Rights Researcher

Global Human Rights Defence

It has been over two years since the Taliban have taken over Kabul, continuously repressing the rights of women and girls, with more than 50 Taliban decrees aimed to diminish women's presence from public life and education. This has urged the United Nations (“the UN”) Security Council to adopt several resolutions with regards to the issue. [1] Afghan women have equivocally called for the right to live equally and freely, which is what women anywhere and everywhere want. 

The past year has seen collaborations between UN Women, United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (“the UNAMA”), and the International Organization for Migration (“the IOM”). They highlighted three emerging issues today that require the international community’s full attention. These are: the deterioration of women’s decision making capacities, the tightening of the Taliban’s grip with the imposition of ever more draconian restrictions on women’s lives, and the deplorable mental health conditions of Afghan women. [2] These issues have been found to encourage gender based violence, while increasing child marriage and labour, in addition, 90% of Afghan women have reported deplorable mental health conditions and suicidal ideation. [3] Afghan women have strongly urged the international community to disapprove the recognition of the Taliban in any respect. [4] 

The UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan and head of the UNAMA, Roza Otunbayeva, has brought this issue to the international community’s attention, highlighting that engaging and maintaining dialogue with the Taliban is crucial for an attempt to alter such policies. [5] Therefore, Ms. Otunbayeva exhorts the council and the wider international community for a reframed structure and purposeful engagement with the Taliban, ensuring the past’s grievous errors of marginalisation are not replicated. [6] Sima Bahous, head of UN Women, recommends the Security Council committee overseeing sanctions to examine the role it can play, while expressing that this is not only a humanitarian crisis, but also an economic, mental health, and a development one. [7] In order for the UN to be able to respond accordingly, the international law must explicitly codify ‘gender apartheid’, as it is the main pillar of the Taliban’s vision of a state and society. [8]

In a joint statement to the United Nations General Assembly (“the UNGA”) 78th meeting, 80 countries have rendered the Taliban’s actions towards women as ‘systematic discrimination’, oppression and violence. [9] They stated: “We call on the de facto authorities to allow women and girls to exercise their rights and contribute to the social and economic development of the Afghan society in accordance with international human rights laws and teachings of Islam”. [10] The top UN political official in Afghanistan asks the international community to not give up on the country, with hope that the Taliban will alter their position on women’s rights. [11]

Neda Mohammad Nadim, the Taliban’s minister of higher education, criticises Western efforts to dismantle the existing system. He states that even though they promote gender equality, Allah does not view men and women as equal. [12] He believes that in Sharia law, men are dominant, holding authority, while women are expected to be subordinate with no questions asked. Nadim denounces the West for placing women above men. [13] He confidently declares that “Women must accept man’s world”. [14]

Afghan women have exhibited to the Taliban, and the world, that they will not stop fighting back. At the expense of their own safety, more than 2,500 women have resisted the power cuts and limited internet connectivity to join virtual classes through Ferhana’s education, an underground ‘University of the People’. [15] These classes provide them with the opportunity to study courses such as literature, business and computer science. [16] Not only that, but they have taken the streets, with nearly 70 demonstrations since August 2021, and 84 indoor protests between March and June 2023. [17]

Afghan women endure relentless human rights abuses and live under the shadow of unrelenting gender apartheid, their every moment marred by oppression. The Taliban have continued to breach their rights, causing them to live in extreme poverty under their rule. Apartheid is an act prohibited by the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and the existing human rights conventions such as the universally ratified International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights condemn discrimination based on gender. The life and freedom of a woman is worth no less than the life and freedom of a man. The chief question is: Will UN efforts be able to pull Afghan women out of this dire and dark state? 

Sources and Further Reading

[1] United Nations, (2023, September 26), ‘Induce Taliban to End ‘Gender Apartheid’ in Afghanistan through All Available Means, Speakers Urge Security Council, Alarmed by Growing Oppression of Women, Girls’ <Induce Taliban to End ‘Gender Apartheid’ in Afghanistan through All Available Means, Speakers Urge Security Council, Alarmed by Growing Oppression of Women, Girls | UN Press.> accessed 11 October 2023.

[2] Sima Bahous, UN Women, (2023, September 26), ‘Speech: The women’s rights crisis: Listen to, invest in, include, and support Afghan women’ <Speech: The women’s rights crisis: Listen to, invest in, include, and support Afghan women | UN Women – Headquarters> accessed 11 October 2023.

[3] Ibid.

[4] Ibid.

[5] UN News, (2023, September 26), ‘Engagement key to reform of Taliban decrees restricting women’s rights’  <Engagement key to reform of Taliban decrees restricting women’s rights | UN News> accessed 11 October 2023.

[6] Ibid.

[7] Ibid.

[8] Ibid.

[9] NDTVWorld, (2023, October 5), ‘80 Countries Condemn Diktats Against Women In Afghanistan: Report’ <80 Countries Condemn Diktats Against Women In Afghanistan: Report> accessed 11 October 2023.

[10] Permanent Mission of Japan to the United Nations, (2023, October 3), ‘Joint Statement by 80 co-sponsors on the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan, delivered at the UNGA78 Third Committee Agenda Item: Advancement of women’ <https://www.un.emb-japan.go.jp/itpr_en/jointstatement100323.html> accessed 11 October 2023.

[11] The Mirage, (2023, October 5), ‘Afghan Chief: Patience, Dialogue Key in Taliban Talks’ <Afghan Chief: Patience, Dialogue Key in Taliban Talks | Mirage News> accessed 11 October 2023.

[12] Aveek Banerjee (ed.), INDIATV, (2023, October 1), ‘Afghanistan: Women must accept 'man's world' as they are not equal, says Taliban education minister’ <Afghanistan: Women must accept 'man's world' as they are not equal, says Taliban education minister> accessed 11 October 2023.

[13] Ibid.

[14] NDTV World, (2023, October 1) ‘Woman Must Accept Man's World," Says Taliban Minister: Report’ <"Woman Must Accept Man's World," Says Taliban Minister: Report> accessed 11 October 2023.

[15] Arpan Rai, The Independent, (2023, August 18), ‘The Taliban has destroyed education for women – but an underground ‘University of the People’ is fighting back’ <The Taliban has destroyed education for women – but an underground ‘University of the People’ is fighting back | The Independent> accessed 11 October 2023.

[16] Ibid.

[17] Moraa Obiria, Nation, (2023, August 31). ‘Applause as Afghan women fight back a hostile regime’ <Applause as Afghan women fight back a hostile regime | Nation> accessed 11 October 2023.