Afghanistan in the Feminist Perspective by CYMBELLINE ASHLEY BONTOGON https://padlet.com/cymbellinebontogon/zk3qo1adqhzb9jhw en-us 2023-09-11 13:36:43 UTC 2023-09-11 14:35:15 UTC hello@padlet.com Taliban Takeover of Afghanistan (Council on Foreign Relations, 2023) cymbellinebontogon https://padlet.com/cymbellinebontogon/zk3qo1adqhzb9jhw/wish/2697437978
  • Following the 9/11 attacks, the United States-led international military coalition launched an invasion of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, signaling the collapse of the Taliban regime.
  • In 2021, the Taliban insurgent group re-captured Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, marking the end of the internationally recognized Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the 20-year-long US war in Afghanistan.
  • With the Taliban back in the seat of power, the situation of women’s rights in the country has regressed and reverted back to the repressive conditions characterizing the last Taliban rule (1996-2001). They had control over the Afghan government and international forces. 
According to Roza Otunbayeva, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General and the Head of the Mission to Afghanistan, “Afghanistan under the Taliban remains the most repressive country in the world regarding women’s rights” (Faiez, 2023).
]]> 2023-09-11 13:38:08 UTC https://padlet.com/cymbellinebontogon/zk3qo1adqhzb9jhw/wish/2697437978 The suppression of rights and systematic exclusion of women and girls from public life cymbellinebontogon https://padlet.com/cymbellinebontogon/zk3qo1adqhzb9jhw/wish/2697438405 2023-09-11 13:38:21 UTC https://padlet.com/cymbellinebontogon/zk3qo1adqhzb9jhw/wish/2697438405 1. Dismantled women’s rights institutions cymbellinebontogon https://padlet.com/cymbellinebontogon/zk3qo1adqhzb9jhw/wish/2697439184
  • The Afghan Ministry of Women’s Affairs, the lead government agency promoting women’s rights and protection from all forms of violence and discrimination, was shut down by the Taliban government. It was replaced by the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice (MPVPV), which enforced repressive and discriminative policies trampling on women’s freedoms and civil liberties. 
  • The Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission was also dissolved. With the absence of institutions guaranteeing protection and representation of women’s interests, cases of forced marriages and domestic violence surged.

    • ]]>     2023-09-11 13:38:43 UTC https://padlet.com/cymbellinebontogon/zk3qo1adqhzb9jhw/wish/2697439184     2. Denied the right to education and employment cymbellinebontogon https://padlet.com/cymbellinebontogon/zk3qo1adqhzb9jhw/wish/2697439657
  • Girls are barred from attending secondary school and receiving tertiary education. Prior to the total ban, gender segregation was also observed in educational institutions. 
  • Due to employment bans in specific fields and industries (like NGOs), there has been a significant plunge in female employment figures. 

    • ]]>     2023-09-11 13:38:52 UTC https://padlet.com/cymbellinebontogon/zk3qo1adqhzb9jhw/wish/2697439657     3. Restricting mobility and access to public spaces cymbellinebontogon https://padlet.com/cymbellinebontogon/zk3qo1adqhzb9jhw/wish/2697439939
  • Women are banned from public parks, bathhouses, gyms, and other open spaces because it violates gender segregation orders, and “going sightseeing is not a must for women,” the MPVPV Minister Mohammad Khalid Hanafi declared (Kassam, 2023).
  • In order to go out in public, women are required to have a mahram or chaperone accompanying them. A mahram is a male relative or a person that the women are prohibited (haram) to marry because of consanguinity.
  • Women cannot acquire a driving license or ride taxis without a male companion, furthering their dependence on men for mobility and increasing the risk of violence against women. 

    • ]]>     2023-09-11 13:39:01 UTC https://padlet.com/cymbellinebontogon/zk3qo1adqhzb9jhw/wish/2697439939     4. Imposition of a dress code cymbellinebontogon https://padlet.com/cymbellinebontogon/zk3qo1adqhzb9jhw/wish/2697440334 According to a decree issued by the Taliban militants, women are mandated to wear head-to-toe clothing, specifically the abaya robe (outer garment) and niqab (usually a black cloth covering the face). Violation of the dress code puts them at risk of facing criminal charges and imprisonment for repeat offenses.]]> 2023-09-11 13:39:13 UTC https://padlet.com/cymbellinebontogon/zk3qo1adqhzb9jhw/wish/2697440334 5. Suppression of free speech cymbellinebontogon https://padlet.com/cymbellinebontogon/zk3qo1adqhzb9jhw/wish/2697440661
  • The Taliban enforced a restrictive environment that threatened journalists and media outlets due to capricious actions of detention, arrest, and torture. Regardless of being held captive, violence persisted. Women barely saw as they covered most of their faces, and many left Afghanistan. 
  • Peace processes were non-existent during the insurgency because the Taliban banned any form of peaceful institutions and spaces; consequently, The Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) met its end.  
    • Moreover, it underscored how women were prevented by their families from exercising their rights out of fear (Amnesty International, 2022). 

    ]]>     2023-09-11 13:39:25 UTC https://padlet.com/cymbellinebontogon/zk3qo1adqhzb9jhw/wish/2697440661     6. Healthcare cymbellinebontogon https://padlet.com/cymbellinebontogon/zk3qo1adqhzb9jhw/wish/2697441070
  • Under the Taliban rule, there have been a lot of concerns regarding healthcare for women. As female healthcare workers repeatedly experience various restrictions, such as limited access to where and how they can work, often restricted to only treating female patients, it is necessary for them to tag along with a male relative in going to their workplace and traveling home, which made it difficult for them to give cures and services in different areas. Due to being denied access to school and universities, it became harder for them to practice their abilities through training, and having the knowledge to improve their medical skills was very limited.
  • Women's access to medical treatments has also been limited, posing a serious threat to the health of mothers and their children. 

    • ]]>     2023-09-11 13:39:37 UTC https://padlet.com/cymbellinebontogon/zk3qo1adqhzb9jhw/wish/2697441070     It is imperative to grant access to equal representation, rights, and liberty to women in multifaceted aspects of life. cymbellinebontogon https://padlet.com/cymbellinebontogon/zk3qo1adqhzb9jhw/wish/2697443022 2023-09-11 13:40:38 UTC https://padlet.com/cymbellinebontogon/zk3qo1adqhzb9jhw/wish/2697443022 Agency & Empowerment cymbellinebontogon https://padlet.com/cymbellinebontogon/zk3qo1adqhzb9jhw/wish/2697444225 UN High Commissioner for Human Rights states, that Taliban’s ruling is “stripping women and girls of their fundamental rights and freedoms and rendering them invisible in public life” (Schlein, 2022) Denying women’s access to basic human rights such as expression, education, and mobility, denies women of their agency– or their overall capacity to act. This lack of agency that is ingrained and being enforced in society makes women vulnerable to oppression and violence, and as such leads to inequality. A society that enables this, creates a society that is unable to perceive women as human beings, making them invisible– categorizing an entire demographic into an invisible social category also denies them access to needs, safety, and wellness. Putting it into a situation for example in denying education and employment. This puts women and girls in a state of dependence on men in the household or marriage as they cannot be able to provide for themselves; thus, denying them of their agency in certain capacities. ]]> 2023-09-11 13:41:15 UTC https://padlet.com/cymbellinebontogon/zk3qo1adqhzb9jhw/wish/2697444225 Institutionalized Oppression cymbellinebontogon https://padlet.com/cymbellinebontogon/zk3qo1adqhzb9jhw/wish/2697444462
  • Afghanistan’s perverted justice system and political instability have exacerbated cases of violence against women.  With the magnitude of negligence for existing arbitrary arrests, sexual assaults, and extrajudicial executions, women’s vulnerability drastically increases. Women at large are heavily deprived of civic engagement and representation which impedes them from equal access to security, liberty, and labor opportunities. These unequal practices are echoed by the removal of government structures constructed for the attainment of women’s rights such as Afghanistan Ministry of Women's Affairs (MOWA) and Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC). 
  • The Taliban government’s offensive rule and lack of adherence to the mandates of the International Criminal Court (ICC) signifies the onset of abuse towards worsening women’s conditions. Time in memorial, institutionalized oppression in the Afghan government has brought destruction and deprivation of women’s well-being and rights. In this regard, deconstructing oppression is imperative. Women should no longer be excluded, objectified, and deprived of rights. Hence, the operationalization of inclusive and effective policies catered to women are a fundamental process to take into account. 

    • ]]>     2023-09-11 13:41:23 UTC https://padlet.com/cymbellinebontogon/zk3qo1adqhzb9jhw/wish/2697444462     Prevalence of Sexual Violence cymbellinebontogon https://padlet.com/cymbellinebontogon/zk3qo1adqhzb9jhw/wish/2697444787  The existence of the Taliban reduced women-inclusive policies in the country as women’s right activists were prohibited, significantly reducing safe houses and organizations that offer protection to women. The Ministry of Women’s Affairs has been abolished and other women protective organizations were threatened and forced to close down. Because of this, the organization's staff have to work undercover, reducing their effectiveness in preventing the maltreatment of women. The EVAW Law (Law on the Elimination of Violence against Women) is no longer valid, nullifying the cases against the abusers. The Taliban also released prisoners, many of whom were charged with committing gender-based violence acts. ]]> 2023-09-11 13:41:33 UTC https://padlet.com/cymbellinebontogon/zk3qo1adqhzb9jhw/wish/2697444787 Women’s Rights to Education cymbellinebontogon https://padlet.com/cymbellinebontogon/zk3qo1adqhzb9jhw/wish/2697445093 As of December 2022, girls are forbidden by the Taliban from attending secondary schools and taking any examinations. Removing this right of education to women results in a higher vulnerability of girls and women of being subjected to exploitation, maltreatment, and forced marriage. Women are also prohibited by the Taliban from working in the United Nations, the media, and the education and healthcare sectors. Because of this, women’s participation politically, socially, and economically is significantly reduced, leaving them powerless to promote inclusive policies that benefit women. They are forced to entirely depend on men for their necessities as women's employment rate continues to drop.]]> 2023-09-11 13:41:43 UTC https://padlet.com/cymbellinebontogon/zk3qo1adqhzb9jhw/wish/2697445093 International Relations’ Involvement cymbellinebontogon https://padlet.com/cymbellinebontogon/zk3qo1adqhzb9jhw/wish/2697445654
  • With the new regime imposed by the Taliban, international actors have raised awareness of the lack of public opinion, as the State and policymakers totally brushed off women's opinions. The narrative of women in violence is still prevalent and treated as more of a domestic and private concern. It is reminded that women are considered partners, substantial in reinforcing humanitarian rights, especially considering that women's rights are in peril. However, Western policymakers should also be more sensitive in addressing the Taliban's case (International Crisis Group, 2023).
  • Afghanistan is obliged to fulfill the intentions of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) by having tribunals and alternative public institutions that could help protect women averse to discrimination, eliminating and changing every single discriminatory law, integrating the principles of equality and diversity of men and women within the legal system, and getting rid of any discrimination against women done by individuals, organizations, and businesses (Sims, 2009). Supporting these commitments is significant for a state’s global image. An international community, led by the feminist concept, would be beneficial in supporting Afghan women’s rights and providing assets, advocacies, and diplomatic power for the protection and fostering of rights. 

    • ]]>     2023-09-11 13:41:54 UTC https://padlet.com/cymbellinebontogon/zk3qo1adqhzb9jhw/wish/2697445654     cymbellinebontogon https://padlet.com/cymbellinebontogon/zk3qo1adqhzb9jhw/wish/2697550381 Amnesty International. (2022). Afghanistan 2022. Amnesty International. 
    https://www.amnesty.org/en/location/asia-and-the-pacific/south-asia/afghanistan/report-afghanistan/ 

    Center for Preventive Action. (2023, August 17). “Instability in Afghanistan.” Global Conflict Tracker. https://www.cfr.org/global-conflict-tracker/conflict/war-afghanistan

    Council on Foreign Relations. (2023). “The U.S. War in Afghanistan.” https://www.cfr.org/timeline/us-war-afghanistan

    Faiez, Rahim. (2023, March 8). “U.N. says Afghanistan is world’s most repressive country for women.” News Hour. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/u-n-says-afghanistan-is-worlds-most-repressive-country-for-women

    Kassam, Ashifa. (2023, August 27). “Taliban ban women from national park in Afghanistan.” The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/aug/27/taliban-bans-women-from-national-park-in-afghanistan

    International Crisis Group. (2023, February 23). “Taliban Restrictions on Women’s Rights Deepen Afghanistan’s Crisis.” Report No. 329, International Crisis Group. https://www.crisisgroup.org/asia/south-asia/afghanistan/329-taliban-restrictions-womens-rights-deepen-afghanistans-crisis

    Medica Mondiale. (2022). Women’s rights in Afghanistan. Medica Mondiale. https://medicamondiale.org/en/where-we-empower-women/afghanistan#:~:text=Since%20the%20Taliban%20took%20power,by%20a%20male%20(mahram).

    Schlein, L. (2022, June 18). UN Official Says Afghan Taliban Has Stripped Women’s Rights. VOA. https://www.voanews.com/a/un-official-says-afghan-taliban-has-stripped-women-s-rights/6622921.html
    Sims, Cheskmak. (2009). CEDAW and Afghanistan - core. Journal of International Women’s Studies. https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/48828409.pdf 
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