Public Comment

The United States spent decades in Afghanistan, spending billions, only to leave the situation for women far worse than before. It’s time for women around the world to be liberated from the imposition of archaic rules and customs, such as the mandatory hijab in Iran and the severe lack of women's rights in Afghanistan and throughout the Muslim world. The United Nations should convene a meeting to encourage Islam to modernize its faith.

Women worldwide should displace men in key government positions to bring order and sanity, correcting the mess men have created. This approach aligns with a simple Persian prayer: "I praise the thought well thought, the word well spoken, and the deed well done." It is worth noting that the founder of the Sikh faith was a pioneer of women's rights. When the Taliban retook power in Afghanistan in August 2021, they initially suspended education for girls above the sixth grade until conditions were deemed suitable under Islamic rules. Now, over 1,000 days later, school remains off-limits for girls older than 12, and restrictions have extended to universities. The Taliban claim education is an "internal matter," leaving the future of girls' education uncertain. 

Denial of education is only one of many Taliban decrees against women. Female civil servants were instructed not to report to work, and women are now barred from working at NGOs and humanitarian agencies, including the United Nations. Many female-owned businesses, such as beauty salons, have been shuttered. Women and girls must be accompanied by a male relative to travel. 

As a result, women and girls have been virtually erased from public life, deprived of their most basic rights. Afghan women began describing the Taliban’s policies as gender apartheid in the 1990s, and there is a growing call to criminalize such policies under international law. 

The Taliban’s institutionalized oppression is devastating not only for the current generation of Afghan women and girls but also for future generations. Boys, raised in a system that dehumanizes women, may follow their leaders’ example and continue to mistreat women, becoming vulnerable to radicalization, which poses security concerns beyond Afghanistan’s borders. The Taliban's gender policies also severely deprive LGBTQ individuals of their fundamental rights. 

Despite these oppressive conditions, Afghan women and girls are resisting. Some have protested in the streets, risking arrest and violence. Girls with internet access, a minority, are taking online classes, and female entrepreneurs are finding creative ways to circumvent restrictions. 

It would be easy to leave these women to struggle alone, claiming that the international community has done enough damage in Afghanistan. But that would be a grave disservice to both the defiant women and those without the economic capacity to fight back. We have an obligation to meet their bravery with increased protection, support, and solidarity. The upcoming meeting in Doha, Qatar, will discuss a political path forward for Afghanistan. The agenda, however, focuses on fighting narcotics and helping the private sector, excluding human rights and women's issues. If these exclusions are the price of the Taliban’s presence in Doha, the cost is too high. 

The international community must insist on reversing the restriction of Afghan women’s and girls’ rights, ensuring their meaningful participation in decision-making, and holding the Taliban accountable. Having these issues explicitly on the agenda in Doha would be an important first step. 

The bravery, dignity, and perseverance of millions of Afghans in the face of gross injustice must be matched by strong, principled, and effective international leadership. g