Afghan advocates urge action for women as Taliban marks five years since takeover

Five years after the Taliban seized control of Kabul, advocates in Canada are calling on Canadians not to overlook the subjugation of women in Afghanistan. First established as an annual subscription for $205.00 plus GST, the campaign aims to renew at $233.00 plus GST every 52 weeks, offering a 10% discount off the regular annual price of $259.35. Subscribers can cancel at any time.

Murwarid Ziayee, a senior director of the Calgary-based charity Right to Learn Afghanistan, expressed her concern about the burden Afghan women shoulder. Ziayee, raised in Afghanistan, questioned why Afghan women should bear the responsibility of resilience and fighting for opportunities.

The takeover of Kabul by the Taliban on August 15, 2021, led to chaotic scenes as people scrambled onto foreign military jets to flee. Canadian troops had been in Afghanistan for 13 years as part of a NATO stabilization mission, deploying over 40,000 personnel following the September 11, 2001 attacks. During this mission, 158 Canadian soldiers lost their lives, alongside civilians such as journalist Michelle Lang, many suffering from physical and psychological injuries.

The Taliban immediately imposed strict limits on women's roles in education, employment, and social activities post-annexation. Girls are prohibited from attending school beyond Grade 6, denied access to sports, politics, and media, and barred from parks, gyms, and sports centers. Moreover, a ban on medical education has left a dwindling number of women capable of treating others, as cultural norms generally forbid men from performing such tasks.

According to the United Nations, the Taliban's restrictions on women and girls are obstructing Afghanistan's economic recovery and integration into the international community. The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan also noted that the restrictions impede progress, with the agency stating that the regime has systematically dismantled the rights of half the population, making Afghanistan a global outlier in modern history.

Despite challenges, Ziayee's charity and others utilize the internet to provide virtual learning opportunities for Afghan girls, including virtual classrooms, self-directed learning modules, scholarships, and online libraries. One student, Mahmoda, shared her hopes for Afghan girls to continue dreaming and striving despite the challenges.

Ziayee acknowledged Canada's support for Afghan girls through advocacy, fundraising, and technical assistance, calling for further action, such as offering university scholarships and putting pressure on the Taliban to include women's voices in decision-making processes.