Five Years of Taliban Rule: 20 Million Afghan Women Abandoned by Global Indifference

Five years have passed since the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan, leaving over 20 million women and girls stripped of fundamental human rights, education, and employment. The international community's silence and diplomatic calculations have allowed this situation to persist, prompting the United Nations and international human rights organizations to officially define the Taliban regime as one of "Gender Apartheid."

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The international community's silence and diplomatic calculations have allowed this situation to persist, prompting the United Nations and international human rights organizations to officially define the Taliban regime as one of "Gender Apartheid."

Reports from the scientific journal Nature and international human rights groups reveal that global actors have systematically abandoned Afghan women and girls in pursuit of commercial and regional interests. Since the Taliban's resurgence in 2021, approximately 2.4 million girls have been denied secondary education, and over 100,000 young women have been barred from university. The withdrawal of women from the workforce is estimated to cost the Afghan economy over $1 billion annually.

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Global actors have systematically abandoned Afghan women and girls in pursuit of commercial and regional interests.

The Taliban's oppressive measures have escalated into what is described as a "gender genocide." Decrees from the Ministry of Higher Education have banned 680 books by female, Western, or Iranian authors from university curricula, while courses on gender studies, human rights, and democracy have been entirely removed. New "Morality Law" decrees further prohibit women from making their voices heard in public spaces.

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The Taliban's oppressive measures have escalated into what is described as a "gender genocide."

Legal amendments have removed the minimum age for marriage, paving the way for child marriages. Women are barred from entering UN facilities, and the recent closure of the health sciences institute in Bamyan has eliminated all avenues for women to receive medical training. This halt in medical education is predicted to result in a severe shortage of female healthcare workers and the world's highest maternal mortality rates in the coming years. Meanwhile, Western countries are tightening visa restrictions, with the UK's "visa brake" policy drawing sharp criticism from academic and civil society groups for hindering access for women researchers and students whose lives are under threat.

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Western countries are tightening visa restrictions, with the UK's "visa brake" policy drawing sharp criticism from academic and civil society groups for hindering access for women researchers and students whose lives are under threat.