RASC News Agency: Numerous women in Herat Province, located in western Afghanistan, assert that the Taliban’s governance has imposed stringent restrictions, particularly targeting active women and severely curtailing their freedoms. A woman from Herat, cautiously conveying her sentiments to a RASC news agency reporter on Thursday, December 28th, contends that Afghanistani women have shouldered the weight of significant challenges and predicaments since the Taliban assumed control of the country. They navigate these challenges judiciously.
She underscores that, “Beyond their overarching restrictions, the Taliban has disproportionately focused on women’s attire, attempting to constrain the freedom inherent to every Afghanistani woman.” According to her, the majority of women in Herat and Afghanistan express apprehension about the Taliban’s treatment and call for a resolution to this pressing issue. She asserts, “If the Taliban fails to reassess its approach towards women, it is plausible that some Afghanistani women may resort to desperate measures.”
However, Fatima Jabari, a civil activist in western Afghanistan, informed RASC that notwithstanding the lukewarm leadership of women in previous Afghanistani governments, they effectively managed crucial sectors. She adds that the Taliban, lacking literacy and higher education, harbors fears that women could assume prominent roles in their government. Ms. Jabari states that if the Taliban genuinely possesses honor and dignity, they should step forward and partake in a comprehensive examination across all sectors involving Afghanistani women. This would elucidate the qualifications and capacities of both women and the Taliban.
Furthermore, Zarghona Refah, a women’s rights activist in Herat Province, remarks to RASC that any attempts by Taliban authorities to intensify pressures on women encounter growing resistance, and their acknowledgment is diminishing day by day. She notes that one reason for the lack of recognition of the Taliban in Afghanistan thus far stems from the extensive pressures imposed on all segments of society, especially women. Zarghona Refah adds that prominent Taliban officials, on one hand, seek international recognition, while on the other, their substantial pressures and restrictions estrange people from them.
Taliban authorities have not commented on this matter, and it is noteworthy that since the Taliban’s resurgence in Afghanistan, women have borne the most significant impact and challenges. From preventing women and girls from attending schools and universities to denying them roles in governmental and non-governmental capacities, Afghanistani society has grappled with imprisonment and various forms of torture.
