The international community must feel a moral responsibility to unequivocally support Afghan women deprived of the dignity of basic life
Post Date – 12:30 AM, Wednesday – 12/28/22
The international community must feel a moral responsibility to unequivocally support Afghan women deprived of the dignity of basic life
The plight of Afghan women must prick the conscience of the world. They are literally fighting a lonely battle against the most oppressive, totalitarian and tyrannical regimes. The international community must feel a moral responsibility, not mere condemnation, to provide unequivocal support to Afghan women who are deprived of the basic dignity of life. The ban on women’s university education is the latest in a series of orders from the Taliban regime aimed at keeping them out of almost all spheres of social life. Women’s basic rights are being trampled with impunity reminiscent of the 1990s when the Taliban first ruled the country. Any hope of a change of mind by the Taliban rulers this time around has been dashed with the return of public executions and floggings, as well as a host of misogynistic measures. The flimsy decisions attest to the notion that the regime’s desire to evade sanctions and gain international legitimacy after the US withdrawal will compel it to maintain at least the semblance of compliance with global human rights norms. The ban makes Afghanistan the only country in the world where girls and women cannot get an education. The Taliban’s invisibility of women is now picking up pace. Women have been completely excluded from the Taliban government and unable to work outside the home in most sectors. They were banned from visiting parks and gyms last month. Afghanistan’s education sector has been badly affected by the Taliban takeover, with an exodus of trained academics following the withdrawal of U.S.-led forces last year.
The country’s economy has relied heavily on foreign aid in recent decades, but after the Taliban denied girls access to all secondary schools, aid agencies withdrew some – sometimes all – of their support for the education sector. What the Taliban did to women violated the teachings of Islam. Such decisions would further alienate the Taliban and deprive them of much-needed legitimacy in the international community. In the two decades since the Taliban were ousted from power by a U.S.-led military coalition following the 9/11 attacks, women in Afghanistan have enjoyed their rights and freedoms under the umbrella of the United Nations, the United States and its allies. They are empowered through education and awareness of their rights. Now, only sustained international pressure can compel the incumbent ruler to follow through on promises to respect the rights of women and minorities made before the withdrawal of U.S. troops last year. As the presidency of the G20, India must use its international status and influence to force the Taliban to fulfill its Doha commitments. New Delhi has been supportive of an inclusive government in Kabul that ensures equal rights for women in all spheres.
