Women’s rights fully secured in Afghanistan: Taliban leader

Hakim Bigzaad

Mulla Hibatullah, the Taliban leader, has claimed in his latest statements that women’s rights in Afghanistan have been fully secured. Tahira Nasiri, a women’s rights activist and founder of the women’s liberation movement, however, says that the leader of the Taliban is making these statements while girls in Afghanistan are being detained and transferred to security offices on charges of “dress code violations” and released in exchange for bail. In an audio recording attributed to the leader of the Taliban, which was released on Wednesday, January 17, during a religious scholars’ meeting in Kandahar, it is stated that women’s rights have been guaranteed in all areas under their rule. Tahira Nasiri, a women’s rights activist, says that the human rights situation of women has significantly deteriorated after the return of the Taliban to Afghanistan, with more than 50 decrees issued to restrict women’s lives and work during this time. Nasiri told Khaama Press, “Not only are women deprived of their basic rights such as work and education, but women have also faced forced and early marriages, murder, detention, and suppression for over two years.” Mullah Hibatullah claimed in this meeting that he had issued orders to secure women’s rights in areas such as inheritance rights, prevention of forced marriages, and providing a dowry for women. Now, these rights have been guaranteed. The interim government leader claims that women’s rights are now better secured than in previous regimes. On the other hand, UN human rights experts say that what women in Afghanistan are going through is sexual harassment and abuse in this country. Meanwhile, Joana Cherry, a representative of the Scottish National Party, recently stated in an article that the situation of women in Afghanistan and Iran is an example of gender apartheid and this should be officially recognized in these two countries. The leader of the Taliban talked about securing women’s rights completely while it has been more than two years that educational opportunities for girls are blocked, and a large part of women are deprived of working in government and non-governmental offices.