Fate of Women rights in Afghanistan under Taliban Regime -by- Samra Athar Kakakhel

Women rights and well being is the most discussed thing after the withdrawal of the United States and NATO forces from Afghanistan. it has put Afghanistan in crucial position. As foreign troops left, the Taliban fighters got courage and more advanced in their battlefield.

Peace negotiations between the Afghan government and the Taliban have massive question mark hangs over the fate of Afghan women and their rights. ’Taliban is growing in Power, and Education for Girls and Women is at Risk.

Women rights are rolled back’ These are horrific times for Afghan women, as After 20 years of stability, Taliban extremists are once again jeopardizing female education, and I believe Afghanistan is the worst spot in the world to be a woman.

Regrettably, not only the Taliban, but also certain major parts of Afghan society, are becoming more conservative, adopting ideological versions of sharia that are restrictive.

The Taliban maintains an iron hold on women and has previously implemented severe, discriminatory laws on women, resulting in women being banned from public life.

Women were denied the right to an education and access to healthcare whereas the Taliban ruled the nation, and their freedom of movement was severely restricted.

They could not appear in public without a close male relative. They were subject to harsh, disproportionate punishments. As a woman, am concerned they have not changed their past policies on women, as observer and witnessed in the current situation Taliban-controlled areas where women mostly remain deprived of their rights to education and freedom of movement.

Subject to the strict and harsh rules that applied during the Taliban era where concessions to the rights of women and girls have been made till now, they have not been applied as it promised. the blue print with this case point i.e. the Taliban`s policy of allowing girls to attend school up to grade 6th (12 years old) has not been applied across the areas that they control.

The Taliban`s current position on women’s access to work and education is restricted. The Taliban strictly implemented their own interpretation of Islamic law or Sharia and want to ban women from appearing in public or working outside the home.

This certainly raises major concerns about the group’s perspective on ensuring women’s rights under international human rights laws. Concerns about neglecting human rights issues, particularly women’s rights and achievements during the past two decades.

The women of Afghanistan are traumatized by the Taliban’s regime on a daily basis. These experiences are still frequent for many women and girls living in Taliban-controlled regions, where freedom has been restricted and curtailed. In this 20 years the Taliban may have learned to appreciate Twitter and social media for propaganda and , but their actions on the ground tells us that they have not changed their loose mentality. Women’s rights are being rolled back .

The U.S. withdrawal has badly threatened the survival of Afghanistan. As international efforts for achieving peace in Afghanistan is now enter a new challenging phase for women . it is essential to ascertain the views and concerns of Afghan women on important issues like protection of women, rights education , freedoms and security. Protecting women’s rights need to be address as it is one of the key objectives which must tackle, and for that to happen, empowered women must engaged at the negotiating table.

Governments across the world aware that the participation of women in peace processes is not an aside, but is important to the stability and implementation of international agreements. The Afghan government, including all of its foreign allies, must protect Afghan women, who are in the fight of their lives.