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Taliban crackdown on women's rights sparks protests, violence in Afghanistan
🇵🇰 Pakistan /Culture & Society

Taliban crackdown on women's rights sparks protests, violence in Afghanistan

From Dawn · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • Afghan women face severe restrictions under Taliban rule, limiting their public presence, work, and education.
  • Recent protests against the morality police in Herat, where women were detained for dress code violations, turned violent with live rounds fired into a crowd.
  • The violent crackdown resulted in casualties, including a child, and fueled further anger among Afghans who view the Taliban's actions as intrusive.

Since the Taliban's return to power in August 2021, Afghan women have experienced a dramatic curtailment of their freedoms. The regime has systematically removed women from public life, enforcing strict interpretations of religious law. Edicts now mandate complete public covering and require a male guardian for any outing. These restrictions have expanded, making it nearly impossible for women to work in essential fields like medicine and teaching, with current access to education limited to primary levels.

people are angry

— Fereshta AbbasiFereshta Abbasi, the Afghanistan researcher from HRW, was quoted as saying the “people are angry” and that family members and others had been protesting because women were arrested in recent days.

The Taliban's strategy of banning women from public spaces targets the most vulnerable population in Afghanistan's war-torn reality. This tactic transforms public areas by rendering half the population invisible or heavily concealed. The morality police, tasked with enforcing these rules, wield power through harassment, arrests for dress code violations, and imposing fines, which also serve as a revenue stream.

However, this demand for absolute submission is facing increasing resistance. In recent weeks, Afghans have begun to voice their opposition to the Taliban's oppressive tactics. In Herat, women protested the morality police's actions, leading to arrests for alleged dress code violations. Reports indicate that on June 7, at least 30 women were detained following a June 5 announcement urging stricter hijab compliance. The situation escalated on June 9 when Taliban authorities reportedly fired live rounds into a protest crowd in a Hazara neighborhood. This demonstration, comprising about 70 men and women, was in solidarity with the arrested women and chanted for education, work, and freedom. The violence resulted in the deaths of two individuals, including a young boy.

They see the Taliban as interfering in people’s privacy, which is unacceptable.

— Fereshta AbbasiFereshta Abbasi, the Afghanistan researcher from HRW, was quoted as saying the “people are angry” and that family members and others had been protesting because women were arrested in recent days. “They see the Taliban as interfering in people’s privacy, which is unacceptable.”

Human Rights Watch Afghanistan researcher Fereshta Abbasi noted the widespread anger, stating that family members and others are protesting the arrests. "They see the Taliban as interfering in people’s privacy, which is unacceptable," Abbasi said. One woman described the arrests, stating, "They were arrested wearing full hijab and were manhandled despite being fully covered." The organization highlighted the significance of the protest, which was organized and supported by both men and women demanding basic rights.

They were arrested wearing full hijab and were manhandled despite being fully covered… .

— womanAs one woman put it: “They were arrested wearing full hijab and were manhandled despite being fully covered… .”
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Dawn in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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