The Taliban has cut away at human rights in Afghanistan since conquering the country in 2021
By Anders Hagstrom
According to a Taliban official speaking to the Associated Press on Tuesday, women in Afghanistan are no longer permitted to attend university.
Since assuming control of the nation in 2021, the Taliban has systematically suppressed both women’s rights and human rights in general. Crackdowns started by putting women under duress to wear hijabs and adhere to other Islamic extremist rules.
After the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan, the United States and a large portion of the world stopped providing financial aid and froze the country’s assets. Before the United States could even finish its withdrawal, the Afghan government, which had previously been supported by the country, fell.
Last year, every female senator urged President Biden to make sure that women’s rights were upheld while the Taliban were in power. The senators urged Biden to collaborate with foreign allies in order to hold the Taliban accountable for how it treats women.
Women’s struggles in Afghanistan mirror those of women in Iran, where the country is in uproar over the violent enforcement of religious dress codes. 22-year-old Mahsa Amini was killed in custody of Iran’s Morality Police this fall after she was arrested for improperly wearing her headscarf.
The Iranian regime has since sentenced dozens of protesters to death for criticizing the regime, including a professional soccer player.
Protests have spread to more than 140 cities and towns. Reports indicate that at least 700 people have died due to the government’s crackdown, including dozens of children.
“In a movement in which the female is at the center, the barbaric, violent regime has used rape as a weapon to further demolish the morale of its people. They’ve targeted women in the court of law, for dancing, for singing, for showing some hair, and now they’re violating them in the worst way possible before robbing them of their lives,” Lisa Daftari, editor-in-chief of the Foreign Desk said in a statement.
“Makes you wonder where the so-called champions of women’s rights are around the world, and why they’re not doing more for the women of Iran. It boggles the mind that up until last week, these brutal dictators were sitting on the world’s foremost committee for women’s rights. How long will Iran’s women have to endure this brutality before leaders step up to condemn this regime?”
Bradford Betz contributed to this report.
