Afghan women have been living under increasingly oppressive conditions since the Taliban regained power in August 2021, transitioning from relative liberties to what experts and human rights activists are terming the systematic enactment of gender apartheid. The situation has drawn the attention of global organizations, filmmakers, and advocates, resulting in initiatives like the new documentary 'Bread & Roses,' produced by Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai and actress Jennifer Lawrence, which aims to capture the harrowing reality of women's lives under Taliban rule.
The documentary is not merely entertainment; it’s described as a deep-dive, smartphone-filmed project illuminating the daily struggles faced by Afghan women. Since U.S. troops withdrew and the Taliban took control, approximately 14 million women lost the fundamental rights they had gained over the last two decades. Restrictions have surged, resulting in severe consequences for their education, employment, and social freedoms, with the United Nations declaring Afghanistan the most repressive nation for women's rights.
Immediately after the Taliban's return, women found themselves barred from participating fully in society. They were systematically excluded from various sectors, especially from the workforce, where even opportunities for work were limited largely to healthcare and education roles. Notably, businesses like hair salons—often the only places where women could gather freely—were shut down under the regime’s harsh edicts. Heather Barr from Human Rights Watch highlighted this loss, stating, "This isn’t just about getting your hair and nails done. It’s about 60,000 women losing their jobs.” This statement encapsulates the broader economic repercussions where the Afghan economy saw declines exceeding 20 percent due to these restrictions, contributing to rising poverty levels affecting nearly 96 percent of the population.
The situation is exacerbated by educational access being stripped from millions of young girls. Notably, Afghanistan stands alone as the only country where women and girls are banned from secondary and higher education, resulting in approximately 2.5 million girls being denied schooling opportunities. "One thousand days out of school amounts to 3 billion learning hours lost or 1.5 million girls. This systematic exclusion is not only a blatant violation of their right to education, but also results in dwindling opportunities and deteriorates mental health," remarked UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell, framing education as pivotal for breaking the cycles of poverty and oppression.
Alongside educational restrictions, the Taliban has enforced brutal mobility rules. Women must now visit public spaces only if accompanied by male chaperones, referred to as mahram. This is one of more than 80 regulations imposed, aimed explicitly at controlling women's movements. The cover of the burqa has returned as the mandated dress code, dictatorial and restrictive, leaving only women's eyes visible when stepping outside. Responses to these decrees from women, humanitarian organizations, and global leaders have been overwhelmingly negative, recognizing the fundamental rights violations encapsulated within these laws.
Despite international outrage and pressure, the Taliban has maintained and even solidified their oppressive policies. The bans on female education persist under flimsy pretexts about dignity and safety. Khaled Hanafi, the Taliban's acting minister for virtue promotion and vice prevention, defended their actions, stating, "We want our sisters to live with dignity and safety." Yet, many women report feeling trapped within their homes, stripped of personal autonomy and agency.
The documentary 'Bread & Roses' emerges as both documentation and protest, aiming to increase awareness about the dire circumstances of Afghan women. Not only does it spotlight their daily struggles but it sparks discussions on broader global humanitarian issues surrounding women's rights. With Lawrence and Yousafzai at the helm, the project seeks to mobilize audiences and challenge perceptions through visual storytelling.
Protests from Afghan women against these brutal restrictions have often met with violence and repression. Many have faced human rights abuses, including arbitrary detentions, torture, and physical attacks. One protester, Nausheen, recounted her harrowing experience when detained last year, stating, "The Taliban dragged me... They took me to a dark, frightening place and held me there, using terrible language against me. They also beat me.” Such personal testimonies underline the real and violent responses to dissent against Taliban policies and the horrors many face when standing up for their rights.
Nonetheless, the resilience of Afghan women remains unbroken as they continue to fight against these appalling injustices. International observers have raised alarms about the deteriorative situation, with advocates calling for urgent action from global leaders. Barr from Human Rights Watch expressed, "Afghan women and girls have faced some of the harshest consequences of Taliban rule, and they have led the difficult fight to protect rights in Afghanistan." The call for action becomes even more pressing as reports highlight the increase of forced and child marriages amid burgeoning poverty and extreme educational restrictions. On UNICEF reports, approximately 28 percent of Afghan women aged 15-49 have experienced marriage through dowries, with reports even hinting at girls as young as just 20 days being sold.
The quest for justice against these human rights violations seems bleak as the Taliban continue to enjoy overwhelming impunity for their actions. Richard Bennett, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights, emphasized the severe impact of opposing the absence of accountability. "Failure to effectively tackle the impunity only emboldens the Taliban's oppressive regime and reduces the possibility of genuine and enduring peace," he warned during the UN Human Rights Council's address earlier this year.
Calls for international recognition of gender apartheid as a crime have gained traction, as advocacy groups push for global intervention. With the stakes so high for Afghan women, their plight demands urgency, empathy, and action with more voices from the international community echoing the plea to stand firm against these systemic abuses. The recent activities of the Taliban represent not just violations of women's rights; they are breaches of human rights on a global scale, relaying the dire need for continued engagement and action from leaders worldwide.
