Taliban Marks Two Years Back in Power Amid Concerns for Women’s Rights

On Tuesday, the Taliban in Afghanistan celebrated their conquest of Kabul and the establishment of what they claimed to be security throughout the nation under an Islamic regime as they commemorated the second anniversary of their return to power.

The Taliban took control of the capital on August 15, 2021, when U.S.-backed President Ashraf Ghani fled and the Afghan security forces, established with years of Western support, crumbled during a rapid onslaught as U.S.-led foreign soldiers withdrew after 20 years of fruitless fighting.

Afghanistan is at a state of tranquility not seen in many years, but the U.N. reports that there have been hundreds of attacks on civilians, some of which have been attributed to the Taliban’s adversary Islamic State.

After the Taliban’s return, the situation of many women, who had previously enjoyed a wide range of rights and freedoms during the 20 years of rule by Western-backed regimes, has gotten much worse.

On Tuesday, which was a holiday, security was tight throughout the capital. Informally organized parades of cars carrying soldiers and kids waving black-and-white flags were driven slowly through the streets of Kabul by Taliban fighters, supporters, and some locals.

 Since the Taliban retook power, girls beyond the age of 12 have been largely barred from attending classes. The restriction is a significant barrier for many Western governments trying to formally recognize the Taliban authority.

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Afghan Women’s Rights and Journalism Suppressed

The Taliban, who claim to respect human rights in accordance with their interpretation of Islamic law, have also prohibited the majority of Afghan women from working for aid organizations, shut down beauty parlors, prohibited women from entering parks, and restricted travel for women who do not have a male guardian.

The growth of journalism during the 20 years that Western-backed administrations ruled has been severely curtailed.

Human rights organizations have expressed concern over the incarceration of media professionals and civil society activists, including notable education advocate Matiullah Wesa.

The Taliban haven’t addressed those concerns in great detail, but they have stated that their law enforcement and intelligence organizations look into any questionable activity to find out why.

On the plus side, the U.N. special representative reports that the corruption that erupted as Western funding poured in for years after the Taliban were overthrown in 2001 has decreased.

However, there are indications that the Taliban’s ban on drug cultivation has significantly decreased poppy production in what was once the world’s largest opium producer.

The Taliban will be hoping that the advancements will contribute to international recognition, the lifting of sanctions, and the release of about $7 billion in central bank assets that were frozen at the U.S. Federal Reserve Bank of New York in 2021, with half of that amount later transferred to a Swiss trust.

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Source: Reuters