Gender Apartheid Under The Guise Of Virtue: The Taliban’s War On Afghan Women – OpEd
The Taliban’s recent enforcement of draconian laws that bar Afghan women from raising their voices and interacting with men outside their families has revealed the extent of their regressive agenda. These regulations, implemented under the pretext of Islamic virtue, have systematically erased women from the public sphere, subjecting them to further layers of oppression. What we are witnessing in Afghanistan is not the propagation of Islamic values but the deliberate and calculated suffocation of women’s rights.
This institutionalized control over women starkly contradicts the teachings of Islam. In its true essence, Islam is a faith that champions justice, equity, and the dignity of all human beings, irrespective of gender. Yet, the Taliban’s so-called “Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice” has become a tool for enforcing brutal restrictions, eroding the fundamental rights of women to participate in society. Afghan women, already marginalized under earlier regimes, now find themselves under even more extreme repression, as their freedoms are stripped away in the name of religion. In reality, these measures are an expression of patriarchal power disguised as religious authority.
From the moment the Taliban regained control in 2021, Afghan women braced themselves for the worst. The swift imposition of bans on education and employment, particularly for women, sent a clear message that the regime’s interpretation of governance would once again sideline half the population. These actions, however, were initially portrayed as temporary, with vague promises of revisiting the restrictions. As time has passed, these so-called temporary bans have calcified into long-term policies, now fully institutionalized under the Taliban’s latest set of laws. For Afghan women, it feels as if the world is watching as they lose the rights and freedoms they had fought for over the past two decades.
The Taliban’s new restrictions, particularly in urban centers like Kabul, highlight the increasing control of the morality police. The once relatively lax enforcement of dress codes and public conduct has now evolved into a draconian system where women are systematically monitored and penalized. The infamous morality police, operating under the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, have become omnipresent, reinforcing a regime of fear that prevents women from living their lives with even the most basic sense of security. Women are banned from raising their voices, reciting the Quran in public, or even laughing in public spaces—an absurd violation of their natural rights as human beings.
This suppression, however, does not end at curbing public expressions of individuality. The Taliban’s persecution of women extends to their access to education, employment, and even their physical presence in public spaces. By dismantling educational opportunities for girls beyond primary school and barring women from universities, the Taliban is effectively denying women the ability to shape their futures and contribute to the development of the nation. It is a war on women’s aspirations that is as destructive as any military conflict. The Taliban’s exclusion of women from the workforce and public life erodes Afghanistan’s potential, turning the country into an oppressive dystopia for half its population.
The Taliban’s systematic exclusion of women is epitomized by the replacement of the Ministry of Women’s Affairs with the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice. This deliberate move not only symbolizes the regime’s intentions to erase women from the public sphere, but it also institutionalizes gender apartheid, pushing Afghanistan back into the darkest chapters of its history. This is not about preserving virtue; it is about enforcing control over women’s lives, bodies, and ambitions. The Taliban’s extreme interpretation of governance is a crude betrayal of the values of Islam, which emphasizes respect, equity, and justice for all, including women.
The international community cannot afford to ignore these developments. By allowing the Taliban’s gender apartheid to continue unchecked, Afghanistan is being transformed into a prison for its women. The claim that these restrictions are based on religious virtue is a smokescreen for what is truly a brutal regime of control, where women are robbed of their humanity and their right to exist as equal citizens. The Taliban’s claim that their actions are in line with Islamic values is deeply misleading. Islam, at its core, champions the protection of human rights, the pursuit of knowledge, and the fair treatment of all individuals, including women. The Quran itself emphasizes the importance of education and the rights of women, and it imposes far fewer restrictions on dress and public conduct than what the Taliban enforce.
Yet, under the Taliban, these core Islamic principles are being weaponized to serve a radical and oppressive agenda. The Taliban is using religion as a tool to justify their control over women, but their actions are in stark contrast to the true values of Islam. Instead of promoting justice, respect, and compassion, the Taliban is enforcing policies that only serve to oppress and marginalize women. The regime’s claim that women’s lives have improved under their rule is not only false but deeply offensive to the countless women who have been stripped of their rights, their dignity, and their futures.
The impact of these policies is not just psychological and emotional but economic as well. Banning women from higher education and the workforce is crippling Afghanistan’s economy and future potential. The exclusion of half the population from meaningful participation in the country’s development is a blow to Afghanistan’s progress. While the Taliban claim they are safeguarding the country’s moral fabric, they are, in fact, ensuring its long-term stagnation and decline.
For Pakistan, this situation presents a unique challenge and opportunity. As a key regional player, Pakistan cannot afford to remain silent in the face of these atrocities. Afghanistan’s stability, or lack thereof, directly impacts Pakistan’s security and geopolitical interests. Therefore, it is in Pakistan’s best interest to use its diplomatic channels to advocate for the protection of Afghan women’s rights. While the Taliban’s rise to power has had geopolitical implications, the focus must now shift to ensuring that their governance aligns with the basic tenets of justice and human dignity. The Taliban’s unchecked actions not only destabilize Afghanistan but also risk creating further divisions and unrest across the region. As Pakistan seeks to ensure security along its western border, it must also champion the cause of justice and fairness for all Afghans, especially its women.
To conclude, the world cannot continue to stand idly by as Afghanistan’s women are systematically oppressed and erased from public life. The Taliban’s enforcement of these draconian laws, under the guise of religious virtue, is a war on women that the international community must recognize and respond to. Pakistan, as a key regional player, must lead the charge in advocating for the rights of Afghan women, using its influence to push for meaningful change. The international community must hold the Taliban accountable for their actions and work to ensure that Afghan women are not condemned to a future of silence, suffering, and subjugation. Afghanistan’s future depends on it.
