Abdul Wasi Popalzay, Sofia Aslam and Sakshi Sharma
I. Introduction
The resurgence of the Taliban in Afghanistan in August 2021 brought about a significant regression in women’s rights and gender equality, dismantling two decades of progress made in education, employment, and public life. Afghanistan, once on a path toward greater gender inclusivity, saw its social and political landscape shift dramatically as the Taliban imposed a strict interpretation of Islamic law. Human Rights Watch (2021) reported that girls were barred from secondary education, and women were excluded from most public sector jobs.
Prior to the Taliban’s return, around 3.5 million girls were enrolled in schools, and women made up 28% of Afghanistan’s parliament, showcasing the advancements achieved by 2020 (World Bank, 2020). These gains, however, were quickly reversed under the Taliban’s regime, which has enforced policies of exclusion and repression, resulting in what scholars like Kandiyoti (2022) describe as “gender apartheid.”
The denial of women’s rights not only affects their personal freedoms but also threatens Afghanistan’s socio-economic stability. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) projected that Afghanistan’s GDP could shrink by 20% within the first year of Taliban rule, with women disproportionately impacted by their exclusion from the workforce (UNDP, 2021). This erosion of rights raises important research questions: what are the specific impacts of Taliban governance on women’s rights and gender equality, and how do these restrictions affect Afghanistan’s broader socio-economic fabric? Addressing these questions is crucial for understanding the intersection between governance, gender oppression, and human rights under Taliban rule. The international community has condemned the Taliban’s actions, yet global responses have often been inconsistent due to geopolitical interests (Human Rights Watch, 2022).
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