Five years of Taliban rule: Afghan women face deepening repression

Five years after the Taliban seized Kabul, Canadian advocates are urging their countrymen not to overlook the plight of Afghan women. "Outside observers can take action," stated Murwarid Ziayee, senior director of the Calgary-based charity Right to Learn Afghanistan, a native of Afghanistan. "Why should Afghan women bear the weight of resilience and opportunity-seeking?"

The Taliban regained control of the Afghan capital on August 15, 2021, causing scenes of frantic individuals clinging to foreign military aircraft in desperate escapes. Canadian troops served in Afghanistan for 13 years as part of a NATO stabilization mission, with over 40,000 personnel deployed in response to the September 11, 2001 attacks.

Over 158 Canadian soldiers perished during the mission, alongside civilians such as journalist Michelle Lang, who also died by suicide. Canadian troops and aid organizations aimed to empower Afghan girls by opening schools and facilitating women's participation in sports, politics, and media. However, the Taliban's immediate exclusion of women from virtually all aspects of society after retaking the country has left the regime in a predicament.

Girls are barred from attending school beyond Grade 6, and prohibited from working in various fields. The Taliban has also banned women and girls from entering parks, gyms, and sports centers. Approximately 2.4 million girls are barred from education, many failing to reach Grade 6 due to financial limitations. The United Nations highlights the economic crisis and alarming levels of child malnutrition in some regions, exacerbated by global sanctions and natural disasters.

UNICEF reports a sharp increase in child marriage rates in Afghanistan. The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan emphasizes that the restrictions on women and girls hinder Afghanistan's economic recovery and its reintegration into the international community. Only Russia formally recognizes the Taliban government, but it acknowledges the reduction in conflict has benefited many Afghans, allowing them to focus on recovery, development, and regional economic cooperation.

UN Women, the lead United Nations agency on gender equality, asserts that Afghan women and girls face the world's most severe restrictions, which have worsened over the past year. Ziayee's charity utilizes the internet to provide virtual learning in Afghanistan, including virtual classrooms, self-directed modules, scholarships, and online libraries.

Despite the numerous challenges, students participating in virtual learning programs sponsored by Right to Learn maintain their dreams and hope. Ziayee emphasizes that Canadians have shown solidarity through advocacy, fundraising, and technical support, but she believes Canada can do more by offering scholarships for Afghan girls and taking action against the Taliban.

Until Afghan girls can attend schools, Ziayee argues that countries should ban regime figures from traveling, freeze their assets, and prevent their children from attending universities abroad.