Gender-based discrimination has continued to surge well into the 21st Century.
New laws, dubbed the “Vice and Virtue” laws, were passed in Afghanistan on August 21 to further restrict their female citizens rights.
NEWEST LAWS REGARDING WOMEN’S RIGHTS:
CNN confirmed Article 13 of the new rules makes it “mandatory for a woman to veil her body at all times in public.”
Clothing that is too tight, thin, or short is also prohibited and face coverings are essential.
These rules regarding garments are enforced to avoid tempting themselves and others.
Furthermore, a female’s voice should not be heard “singing, reciting, or reading aloud in public,” as it has been deemed too “intimate,” said CNN.
Women have also been forbidden from looking at men unless they are related by marriage or blood.
All of these rules have been justified by Ministry Spokesman Maulvi Abdul Ghafar Farooq, who said “this Islamic law will be of great help in the promotion of virtue and the elimination of vice.”
In reality, some have criticized the new laws as a way to diminish a woman’s individual rights to an almost nonexistent state- a place in which they are inferior to their male counterparts.
PREVIOUSLY PASSED LAWS
Previously established laws also ban women from walking in public parks, almost all forms of paid employment, and attending gyms or beauty salons.
Afghanistan is also the only country in the world to ban girls from any form of education beyond sixth grade.
Additionally, at the beginning of 2024 the Taliban announced the reintroduction of “stoning… women for adultery.”
WHO ELSE IS AFFECTED?
It’s important to note that some additional laws were passed that regard other Afghan citizens rights.
Men are now prohibited from shaving facial hair and cab drivers can no longer play music or drive a woman unescorted by a male.
Associated Press News said “they also ban images of living things, such as photographs.”
Women are not the only ones being affected even though the Western world may see those as the most extreme examples of harsh and outdated laws.
THE TALIBAN TAKEOVER- WHY NOW?
The Taliban, an active terrorist group, first came to power in Northern Pakistan during the early 1990s.
They gained worldwide recognition after the September 11 World Trade Center Attacks in New York.
According to the BBC, “on October 7 2001, a US-led military coalition launched attacks in Afghanistan” in response.
The Taliban was then forced to evade capture until February of 2020, following Former President Donald Trump’s US-Taliban peace deal and Current President Joe Biden’s announcement in 2021 that “all American forces would leave [Afghanistan] by September 11.”
This all brings the question as to why these rules are being drafted and passed now, 20 years after the Taliban was ousted from power by the United States Army.
The simplified explanation is that 3 years ago, when US troops left, the Taliban was able to reamerage and topple the government in Afghanistan once again; just like they first did in 1996.
LEGAL OR ILLEGAL?
According to Chapter Two: Article Twenty-Two of the English Translation of The Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, ”Any kind of discrimination and distinction between citizens… shall be forbidden.”
The same document then goes on to say “the citizens of Afghanistan, man and woman, have equal rights and duties before the law.”
Halema, a 37-year-old housewife from Kabul, realizes that “Day by Day, [the Taliban] are trying to erase women from society,” said News Platform Reuters.
She encourages the international community to take action, as their silence allows her government “to create new laws and restrictions every day.”
Various Human Rights Groups have expressed their horror of the new set of laws, including Roza Otunbayeva, Head of UNAMA (United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan).
According to Associated Press News, she said “the Afghan people deserve much better than being threatened or jailed” if they do not abide by the enacted laws.
However, there’s other factors to consider since there are not many ways an outside force can aid the Afghanistan citizens.
First and foremost, the last time someone attempted to interfere resulted in a prolonged and deadly war.
Additionally, who would be responsible to help and how would they even go about doing so?
Either way, news platforms, like The Guardian, continue to report on the “criminalization of women’s bodies and voices.”