UN warns of ‘incredible fear’ among Afghan women as Taliban rule returns

The United Nations warned on Wednesday that the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan and the subsequent position of the new rulers on women’s rights have generated an “incredible fear” across the country.

“The lack of clarity of the Taliban’s position on women’s rights has generated incredible fear,” said Alison Davidian, a senior UN official. “And this fear is palpable across the country.”

Davidian, the deputy head of UN Women in Afghanistan, was speaking to reporters in New York from Kabul. Pointing out that there were daily reports of the Taliban imposing restrictions on the rights of women, she said that the new rule is reminiscent of the previous Taliban regime in the 1990s when the Islamist rulers forbade women from working jobs or receiving education.

“Memories are vivid of the Taliban’s rule in the 1990s when there were severe restrictions on women’s rights, and women and girls are understandably afraid,” Davidian said.

Elaborating on the current reports of Taliban crackdown on women’s rights, the UN official said that women are being prevented from leaving their homes without a male relative, and in many other provinces, they are being forced to stop working. Protection centers for women fleeing violence and safe houses for women’s rights activists, already at a full capacity, are also being targeted, she said.

Notably, the Taliban have promised to put on a more “moderate” face this time, with the new rulers vowing to respect women’s rights in accordance with Islamic law. However, with the announcement of a new hardline regime, reports suggest that the Taliban have gone back to their usual ways. In an interview with Australia’s SBS News, a senior Taliban official said women would not be allowed to play cricket – a popular sport in Afghanistan – or possibly any other sport because it was “not necessary” and their bodies might be exposed.

The new Taliban cabinet, which was once promised to be formed in an inclusive manner, draws almost entirely from the ranks of the militants. It also does not include a single woman, and nor is there any mention of a ministry for women.

In Kabul, dozens of women took to the streets again to demand representation and for their rights to be protected. In the Balkh province, too, a group of women held a protest earlier this week calling to preserve the achievements of the past 20 years and demanding women’s representation in the future government in Afghanistan.