In Afghanistan, women have had their rights disrespected and stripped from them, from not being able to leave the house without another man to being barred from pursuing education. Now, their very own voices are being restricted.
Ever since the 2021 Taliban Takeover, the Afghan people have been suffering even more than they have before, but women have had extreme restrictions placed on them.
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation reports that two months ago, the Taliban had forced new “morality” laws onto Afghan women, banning them from showing their faces and sharing their voices in public.
United Nations human rights chief Volker Turk stated that passing these egregious laws would erase, silence, and deprive women from the public, stating that “this is utterly intolerable”.
Zabihullah Mujahid, the main spokesman for the Taliban, responded by stating, “We urge a thorough understanding of these laws and a respectful acknowledgment of Islamic values. To reject these laws without such understanding is, in our view, an expression of arrogance.,”
In October, NBC reported that Vice and Virtue Minister Khalid Hanafi announced new restrictions on Sunday while in the Logar province.
He stated, “It is prohibited for a grown woman to recite Quranic verses or perform recitations in front of another grown woman. Even chants of takbir (Allahu Akbar) are not permitted.” adding that uttering expressions central to the Islamic faith would be prohibited. Since women are not allowed to perform the call to prayer, he additionally stated that “there is certainly no permission for singing.”
These laws have frightened women from within and outside of the country. The BBC interviewed a woman named Shabana who had once enjoyed her education but now lives in constant fear.
“When we got out, we’re scared. When we’re on the bus, we’re scared. We don’t dare to take down our masks. We even avoid speaking among ourselves, thinking that if someone from the Taliban hears us they could stop and question us,”
Alongside she added, “If we can’t speak, why even live? We’re like dead bodies moving around.”
Amnesty International shared reports conducted by United Nations agencies, showing an increase in gender-based violence and femicides, with the perpetrators being free from punishment.
The implementation of these laws have put women at an even higher risk of being abused by men. Alongside, countless reports showed more girls and women suffering from depression, leading some to commit suicide.
