Life under Taliban rule is becoming increasingly difficult, especially for women. Hundreds of young women were prevented from entering university campuses in Afghanistan by armed guards on Wednesday. Since returning to power sixteen months ago, the Taliban have slowly returned to their uncompromising stance on freedom and women’s rights. They claim their rules are consistent with their interpretation of Islam, even though Afghanistan is the only Muslim country to ban girls’ education. Back to the chronology of their oppression of women, their first victims.
August 2021: The return of the Taliban
The Taliban regain power in Kabul on August 15, 2021, with the chaotic final withdrawal of US-led foreign troops, ending a 20-year war and hastening the collapse of President Ashraf Ghani’s Western-backed government.
The hardline Islamist group has promised a looser regime than during its first reign from 1996 to 2001 and says it will uphold human rights obligations, including those of women.
September 2021: Classes separated by gender
The Taliban announced on September 12 that women could attend universities, which have segregated entrances and lecture halls by gender, but could only be taught by professors of the same sex or by older men. Other restrictions include wearing the hijab as part of a mandatory dress code.
March 2022: Girls prevented from attending school
Secondary schools for girls were due to reopen on March 23, but the Taliban overturned the policy and tens of thousands of teenage girls were locked down and forced to stay at home.
May 2022: Stay home
On May 7, Taliban Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada ordered women to cover themselves fully, including the face, in public and mostly stay at home. Also, women are forbidden to travel in cities unaccompanied by a man.
August 2022: The demonstrations are broken up
On August 13, Taliban fighters beat demonstrators shouting “bread, jobs and freedom” and shot in the air to disperse a demonstration in front of the Ministry of Education in Kabul. Islamist extremists also arrested and beat journalists covering the protests.
November 2022: Forbidden Parks
Women are prohibited from entering parks, fairgrounds, gymnasiums and public baths.
December 2022: Execution, flogging
The Taliban are carrying out their first public execution since taking power, of a convicted killer who shot dead a man in western Farah province on December 7.
The following day, more than 1,000 people witnessed the flogging of 27 Afghans, including women, in Charikar in central Parwan province for a range of offenses ranging from bestiality and adultery to forgery and debauchery. Public floggings have since been practiced regularly in other provinces.
December 2022: no university for women
Armed guards barred hundreds of young women from entering university campuses on December 21, a day after a terse statement from the Minister for Higher Education announcing an order to “suspend women’s education until further notice”.