On August 15, 2021, the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, launching a campaign of repression that has dramatically violated the human rights and freedoms of the Afghan people, especially Afghan women and girls. Through a series of escalating decrees, the Taliban has banned women and girls from secondary and higher education; from most jobs outside of healthcare and primary education, including roles in public administration, non-governmental organizations, the UN, and media; from driving long distances or flying without a male guardian; and from visiting public parks and bathhouses. Decrees also mandate punishment for male relatives of women who do not wear hijabs fully covering their bodies; ban even the sound of women’s voices in public, including through any media and social media platforms; and prohibit residential buildings’ windows from overlooking areas commonly used by women.
“Afghan women and girls have lost access to their fundamental rights and been effectively erased from public life,” said Freedom Now’s Executive Director, Andrea Prasow. “Four years into the Taliban’s rule, there has been little accountability for these abuses; instead, the international community has begun to show dangerous signs of complacency. Meanwhile, Afghan women still inside the country and in exile continue bravely working to be heard, protect their communities, and demand their rights.”
As we mark this painful anniversary, the international community should enforce mechanisms for justice and accountability; restore life-saving humanitarian assistance; uphold commitments to protect Afghans who have fled persecution; and provide financial, technical, and diplomatic support to Afghan women and girls. Governments and international bodies can take these concrete steps to address Afghanistan’s acute human rights and humanitarian crises without legitimizing the regime.