Afghan women’s rights have been a contentious issue in the country’s tumultuous history, with periods of greater freedoms and others marked by repression. While women enjoyed significant rights in the past, such as the right to vote in 1919 and access to education from the 1950s onwards, their situation has taken a drastic turn since the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021.
In 1996, the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan, imposing a regime that systematically repressed women’s rights. However, following their overthrow in 2001, a new constitution was adopted in 2004, which enshrined women’s rights and led to increased female participation in Afghan public life.
The new constitution also included provisions for women’s representation in politics and the workforce. By 2020, 21% of Afghan civil servants were women, a significant increase from before 2001. Women held prominent public offices, including Adela Raz, who served as the Ambassador of Afghanistan to the United States.
Despite these achievements, Afghan women are now facing unprecedented oppression under the Taliban’s return to power. They have been banned from education beyond the sixth grade, excluded from most professions, and forced to wear full-body coverings in public. These measures have effectively erased women from public life.
Fawzia Koofi, a prominent Afghan politician, expressed her concerns about the situation: “We cannot say that women and human beings in your own territories deserve to live with respect and dignity, but it’s okay for women of Afghanistan to live in the situation they are in now.”
The international community has condemned the Taliban’s actions, with the United Nations Secretary-General warning of a “grave risk” to Afghan women. The situation remains dire, with women’s rights facing an unprecedented crisis.
Source: https://media.un.org/photo/en/photo-essays/unveiled-history-afghan-womens-rights