Afghanistan in Context

After the fall of the republic government in Afghanistan, various aspects of people’s lives have been paralyzed. The dominant group’s interactions with the people have always been directive, political, and based on the viewpoint of “us” and “others”.

Despite initial promises to respect human rights, the Taliban steadily reimposed its strict interpretation of sharia-based law on the country, including public executions, amputations, and flogging. Since the takeover, those living under Taliban rule have witnessed the regression and reversion of any gains in liberal and democratic rights and freedoms over the last twenty years.

Meanwhile, women have been deprived of their most basic rights. Although it was expected that the Taliban’s view of women would change and that at least this group’s treatment of women would be based on Islamic principles, at the beginning of the Taliban government, they closed the doors of schools to female students. Strict social rules were established, and women’s movements and protests were suppressed and suffocated through threats, arrests, and even beatings.

A new policy was enacted in government offices, prohibiting women from working under the same roof as men, and in some cases, they were fired. Classes in universities were segregated, and even school days were divided between boys and girls.

It was hoped that at least the doors of universities and schools would not be closed to girls, and they would not be deprived of their most basic rights. However, what the people did not expect finally happened through a decree in the latest order of the leader of the Islamic Emirate, and the universities were officially closed to girls.

Meanwhile, Afghanistan continues to face one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, exacerbated by devastating economic shocks and the worsening effects of climate change. These factors have caused widespread displacement, poverty, and food insecurity; an estimated 23.7 million Afghans required humanitarian aid as of February 2024.