Being a Girl Is a Crime: The Taliban’s War on Women

Ever since the Taliban took back control of the government in 2021, the rights of women have been systematically dismantled across the country. Females are now banned from receiving education beyond the primary level, they have also been restricted from working in several sectors, especially in the government, and women are also prohibited from accessing public spaces such as gyms, parks and even beauty parlors. These harsh policies have attracted the attention of international human rights organizations; most of these groups have labelled the situation as a gender based apartheid.

The way Afghan women are treated is “the most serious women’s rights crisis in the world today,” according to the UN. UN Special Rapporteur Richard Bennett called the situation “institutionalized, systematic, and deeply discriminatory” in a statement issued in March 2024. Amnesty International has warned that the Taliban’s restrictions could be seen as gender persecution and might even violate international law. Despite growing concern from the global community, the Taliban has shown no apparent intention of reversing its rules. In response to criticism, the Afghan government continues to defend its actions by saying they are based on Afghanistan’s “cultural and religious traditions.”

The impact of these restrictions has been devastating for Afghan women and girls. Many now live in fear and isolation, with no access to education, work, or even the outdoors. “Afghanistan is the only country in the world where girls are banned from secondary school,” according to UNICEF. For many young girls, the future feels hopeless. “Girls feel like they don’t exist anymore,” said one teenager from Kabul. Human rights experts have described this not just as a women’s issue, but as a “human rights crisis,” as stated by UN Women. Despite strong statements from global organizations, little has been done to stop the suffering. “The silence of the world is deafening,” Afghan women protesters have said, urging the international community to take real action. Until then, millions of women continue to live under rules that erase their freedom, their dreams, and their voices.

Afghan women keep showing incredible strength in the face of these continual atrocities, but strength alone is not enough. If the international community doesn’t respond quickly, millions of women and girls will stay stuck in a system that takes away their fundamental rights and freedoms. The situation in Afghanistan is not only a national concern, but also a global rights emergency that the world cannot afford to ignore any longer.

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Eliza Qazi

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• Being a Girl Is a Crime: The Taliban’s War on Women - 27/07/2025