From a young age, we are taught of social injustices like gender inequality and oppression as if they are ghosts of the past. We are taught about war as if it’s a bad ending in a story book, a curse that can only be bestowed upon foreign lands.
But rarely are we taught the harsh reality that some of us grow up with these injustices hanging over our shoulders, while others will not. We are not taught that these are not just stories and fictional characters we hear about, but people who love and mourn just like us. We are desensitized and accustomed to hearing tragic statistics on our way to work. We may even forget that those statistics are made up by real people. Maybe while the car stops and we wait for traffic to move we’ll remember our shared humanity and feel sorry for those people making up the statistics, but the traffic light goes green and our minds along with the cars move on.
The fight for women’s liberty and gender equality is unified amongst all nationalities, religions and races. Regardless of affluence or power, women have been held captive by the unjust systems which govern them for centuries. Because gender inequality is so deep rooted in our laws, policies and other systems, it will require a strong united force to correct.
The Taliban established their power in Afghanistan on the 15th of August 2021. Initially, women were promised protection under the Shahria law to work and study. However, this promise was not upheld.
When the Taliban shut the door to girls' education in Afghanistan, they deprived millions of aspiring doctors, engineers and lawyers from pursuing their future careers. Without a highschool degree Afghan girls cannot take the kankor entrance exam, which is a requirement for private universities. This will further limit women in Afghanistan’s ability to work, and hinder any chance at financial liberty. This shifts the role of women in their marriages, families and general public.
The lack of economic liberty along with lack of exposure puts women in a position where they are forced to tolerate domestic abuse. Women cannot divorce their husbands without their husbands permission, as well as witnesses willing to testify in court. It has often been reported that women in abusive marriages commit suicide as an escape.
Not only must they compromise their futures, but their respect and safety as well. Their lives are completely dictated by policies created by authoritarian male forces, and the oppression affects all aspects of their existence, including clothing and travel. For example, women cannot travel more than 40 kilometres without a male relative. They must also wear full face coverings in public. Some argue that this control and oppression of women is used by the Taliban as a tool to reinforce their authority, and allowing women freedom and control over their affairs may reflect on their power as diminishing. It has also been justified as being backed by religious beliefs and values.
According to UNICEF, over 850,000 girls have been prevented from receiving secondary school education. Some women have privately started small classes for teenage girls to lower these numbers, but their resources and funding is extremely limited, and they are putting themselves at great risk by breaking the law.
Although it is uplifting to see such efforts made, there is still a great threat being posed on the future, safety and well-being of all women in Afghanistan, and this reflects the extent of progress we must still make in liberating women and creating true equality amongst all genders. In the 21st century, we possibly cannot afford to go back in history. For those of us who want to help, the traffic light turns green every other day. Now it is only our responsibility to uphold that signal.
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