The Taliban in Afghanistan has recently imposed extreme restrictions on women under its interpretation of sharia law, including banning women from hearing other women’s voices while they pray. This ban was announced by acting Minister Khalid Hanafi of the Vice and Virtue Ministry and has since been enforced, with women already forbidden from engaging in call-to-prayer or speaking in public. Women must also be fully covered, including their faces, under new laws issued by the ministry in August. Any violations of these rules result in arrests and imprisonment for women.
The ban on women from hearing other women’s voices while praying is considered an attempt to prevent them from “temptation and tempting others” according to the Taliban. Women in Afghanistan are also required to have a male guardian when they leave their homes. This extreme oppression of women has raised concerns about the Taliban’s human rights abuses, with instances of sexual violence, including rape, being used against women arrested by the Taliban. The special rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan, Richard Bennett, found that the Taliban’s gender oppression may amount to crimes against humanity, including gender persecution.
The Taliban’s oppressive measures on women are aimed at controlling every aspect of their lives, including their ability to pray and use religious expressions such as “subhanallah.” Women are even restricted from speaking loudly inside their homes, with the ban on public speaking meant to limit their voices from being heard outside. These restrictions further exacerbate the already severe limitations placed on women’s freedom and rights in Afghanistan. Despite dismissing accusations of discrimination, the Taliban’s treatment of women has sparked outrage and condemnation from human rights organizations worldwide.
As the Taliban tightens its grip on power in Afghanistan, the situation for women continues to deteriorate, with reports of increased restrictions and violations of their basic rights. The international community has been urged to take action to address the human rights abuses being committed by the Taliban, particularly against women. Calls for accountability and justice for the victims of these abuses have been made, with the findings of the special rapporteur’s report on human rights in Afghanistan set to be presented to the United Nations General Assembly. It is crucial for the world to stand in solidarity with the women of Afghanistan and work towards ensuring their rights and dignity are protected in the face of such oppressive measures.
