The sound of silence: The Taliban’s war on women in Afghanistan
“If we can’t speak, why even live?” (BBC News, 2024)
In the 1970s, a woman in Afghanistan may feel the sun on her face as she strolls through Kabul’s university campus after class. She may openly discuss politics with her friend in a local café. She would have dreamt of a future in which she pursues a career as a lawyer or doctor.
Today, she is confined to her home. She can no longer feel the sun on her face, and speaks only in whispers. Her dreams of the future remain dreams.
In the most recent edict, Khalid Hanafi, the Taliban’s minister for ‘virtue and vice’, has declared that women should not be audible to other women. Just two months ago, women were prohibited from speaking in public spaces altogether. Silence, even in prayer. Essentially, women are surely becoming voiceless.
“Can you really imagine yourselves in this situation?”, an Afghan woman says to a reporter.
Taliban government deputy spokesperson, Hamdullah Fitrat tells the BBC, “the law approved by the supreme leader is in accordance with Islamic Sharia Law. Any religious scholar can check its references”.
Sharia Law is the Islamic legal system derived from the Quran and the Hadith (recorded sayings and actions of the Prophet Muhammad) and interpretations by Islamic scholars. ‘Sharia’ meaning ‘path’ in Arabic, the law is intended as a guide for how Muslims should live. The Taliban, since regaining power in 2021, have implemented an extremely conservative and restrictive interpretation of Sharia law that heavily polices the freedoms of Afghan women and girls.
Under Taliban rule, women can no longer attend school, or university. They cannot work in many sectors, including NGOs, government positions and various public roles. In some areas, women are only allowed to leave the house with a male guardian, and must wear a full-body covering. Now, they cannot speak publicly, or even privately to one another. Fearful of violating the Taliban’s interpretation of Sharia Law, many women don’t speak at all.
“We can’t talk outside. We can’t even talk loudly inside our own homes”.
Without the freedom to speak, a woman begins to forget the sound of her own voice. Her thoughts have nowhere to go. Confidence withers, and with the absence of expression, a once strong sense of identity fades. To be silenced is to become invisible, and to be invisible is to feel as if you don’t exist at all.
“We need leaders to be brave enough, to step up, to stand with Afghan women and girls and protect their rights”, says Malala Yousafzai (Sky News, 2024). The United Nations, amongst other international peace organisations, have referred to the situation in Afghanistan as ‘gender apartheid’. “We will never allow gender-based discrimination to become normalised anywhere in the world”, says UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres. But for three years Afghan women have been steadily stripped of their rights. “The international community has failed to hold the Taliban accountable for violation of human rights” (Amnesty International, 2023).
Charity organisations can offer an indirect form of resistance. Charities and NGOs can provide essential resources to women, as well as online education platforms and vocational programs. Advocacy organisations based outside of Afghanistan have also rallied global awareness and pressure against the Taliban’s gender policies. However, charities face increasing confrontation; educational programs are consistently restricted and any degree of empowerment to Afghan women is risky under the Taliban.
Despite adversity, women in Afghanistan have remained resilient. “We refuse to be discriminated against, we refuse to be repressed!” (Amnesty International, 2023). The Taliban’s takeover saw Afghan women take to the streets in protest. Refusing silence, they risked their lives to confront their oppressors and fight for their legal, social and political rights. Their protests are a testament to their enduring bravery. Even in the darkest moments, resistance remains alive, suggesting that the fight is far from over.
It is a dire situation. But exposure is essential if there is to be change. All women should be allowed to sing, we should be able to feel the sun on our faces, walk amongst the trees and laugh with friends. Our daughters should believe that anything is possible. It is a tragedy for dreams to forever remain dreams.
Words by Elysha Din
