Gender Apartheid in Afghanistan: The Crisis Facing Women Under Taliban Control

The future for women in Afghanistan grows uncertain as girls lose the chance to study, and women lose the right to work. The Taliban’s Afghanistan is a country deeply divided by gender, leaving women to bear the brunt of a vanished dream for equality.

Since the Taliban came to power in 1996, Afghanistan has faced a tempestuous start to the 21st Century. Over the last two decades, Afghanistan has been partially occupied and influenced by the US and its NATO allies. Following the withdrawal of US troops, and the subsequent return of the Taliban to power in 2021, the Taliban has restricted the freedom of women, divesting them from basic rights including education, employment, protection and expression.

Background and Historical Context

The mid-20th century marked a flourishing period for the women of Afghanistan. During the reign of King Mohammed Zahir Shah (1933-1973), modernisation reform aimed to promote gender equality. The 1964 Constitution of Afghanistan granted women unprecedented benefits including political rights, education access, employment and social rights. By the 1970s, Afghan women attended universities, pursued careers, and were actively engaged in public life.  

However, in 1973, a military coup put an end to the rule of Zahir Shah. In the years that followed, Afghan society faced dramatic setbacks during periods of significant political instability and war. This resulted in the extremist regime of the Taliban, who promised to deliver peace, rising to power in 1996.

During their initial rule (1996-2001), the Taliban enacted policies that drastically curtailed women’s rights, reversing decades of progress and imposing severe restrictions on almost every aspect of daily life. Under the Taliban’s interpretation of the Sharia law, women faced social and legal subjugation. Outcomes against women included banishment from the workforce and education beyond primary level. Wearing a burqa was made mandatory and it became illegal for a woman to leave the household unaccompanied by a close male chaperone (mahram). Female access to healthcare was also greatly impacted as visits to male doctors were forbidden. 

The American invasion of Afghanistan after the September 11 attacks and the subsequent defeat of the Taliban in 2001, liberated the country from a brutal regime. During the next two decades, the situation for women largely improved, particularly in urban areas. The 2004 Constitution sought to reinstate gender equality through legislative reforms, giving women the right to free movement and expression, to vote, to pursue an education, and to work outside the home. 

In 2003, very few girls attended primary school, but this number significantly increased in the following years, with a noticeable improvement in access to education. Similarly, women’s participation in secondary schooling, which was minimal at the time, grew substantially, reflecting broader strides in educational opportunities for women during that period. By the mid-2010s, nearly 40% of the children enrolled in secondary school were girls (Easar et al., 2023), a stark contrast to earlier years when such participation was negligible. The increasing rates of women actively engaged in the national workforce marked an important milestone, as did the rise in female life expectancy. 

Current Crisis: Gender Apartheid

This period of increased rights for women under American occupation was harshly ended by the return of the Taliban in 2021 after the withdrawal of US troops. The Taliban took swift action to implement a new government that to this day is unrecognised by any foreign state or international institution. 

For a second time, the Taliban’s policies exemplify gender apartheid – a system of segregation that institutionalises the oppression of women based on gender. To provide further insight, it is essential to examine the primary consequences of the new policies:

• Education Ban

The government issued over 20 decrees against women’s education, forbidding them from enrolling in secondary and higher education institutions. These restrictions have long-term consequences on Afghanistan’s social, economic, and political fabrics. The literacy rate for Afghan women is already low, and this ban ensures that the gap between men and women in education continues to widen. By denying  schooling as a basic human right for women, pursuing a career is almost impossible. This leads to reduced workforce productivity, perpetuation of poverty, cycles of undereducation, and reinforcement of stereotypes.

• Employment Restrictions

The Taliban’s employment restrictions on women have forced many into economic dependency on male relatives, eroding their autonomy. With little to no job opportunities, the traditional gender roles often become entrenched. Women are expected to obey their husbands and manage household responsibilities and childcare duties. Women who have remained employed are predominantly working from home, whereas those required to attend their workplace have to be accompanied by a mahram.

• Public and Legal Exclusion

The legal and societal constraints imposed by the Taliban are systematically erasing women from public life. Starting with the prohibition of voting and attending protests, new restrictions forbid women from hearing each other’s voices in both public and private places. This involves no singing, no laughing, and no reading or praying aloud. Furthermore, public spaces, such as parks, are segregated by gender, and women’s access to these spaces is often limited to certain times of the day or week.

• Healthcare and Safety Concerns

Afghan women are trapped in a devastating healthcare crisis. Due to exclusion from medical education, and a ban on being treated by male doctors, there is a shortage of medical care accessibility for women (World Health Organisation, 2024). The unavailability of essential healthcare services has resulted in tragic outcomes, including the preventable deaths of pregnant women during childbirth. The maternal mortality rate in Afghanistan is now approximately 638 deaths per 100,000 live births (Qaderi, Ahmadi & Lucero-Prisno, 2021) one of the highest in the world. It is estimated that without adequate reproductive health services, an additional 51,000 maternal deaths could occur in 2025 (Hanayish, Lewal, & Scollon, 2023). 

Social Impact of Gender Apartheid

The Taliban’s  enforcement of gender apartheid has profoundly disrupted the fabric of Afghan society, extending its harmful effects far beyond individual women to the nation as a whole. By systematically excluding women from education, employment and public life, the Taliban has entrenched policies that jeopardise Afghanistan’s economic stability, undermine its future development, and preserve a cycle of psychological trauma across generations. 

Through barring women from the national workforce, the society has lost the potential contributions of half its population. Women’s untapped skills and ambitions diminish economic productivity and stifle opportunities for innovation. Additionally, they contribute less in taxes, reducing the amount of public funds available for essential services like education, healthcare, and infrastructure.

The systematic marginalisation of women has led to widespread despair and a loss of identity among Afghan women. Many feel hopeless as they are stripped of roles they once held in education, employment, and public life. Financial dependence and limited freedom make women more vulnerable to domestic violence. Many feel trapped in unsafe relationships due to the lack of economic alternatives. Women are reporting high levels of anxiety, depression and other mental health conditions as a result of the psychological stress inflicted by the regime’s new rules. 

A recent study reports that 80.4% of Afghan women experience symptoms of depression, while 81% suffer from mild to severe anxiety (Neyazi et al., 2023). Key factors contributing to depression include older age, having more children, low education levels, low household income, and recent traumatic events. Poor physical and psychological quality of life were also associated with higher rates of depression. This experience highlights the devastating psychological impact of the Taliban’s crackdown on education for girls, leaving many young women feeling isolated and hopeless in the face of such system repression. In addition, with education and work denied to them, many girls are being sold or forced into early marriages.

A literate, educated population is critical for national-building. The Taliban’s policies create an intellectual vacuum that will affect Afghanistan’s ability to rebuild and progress for generations.

International Response and Responsibilities

International response to the Taliban’s policies towards women has been overwhelmingly critical. Many human rights organisations, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, have highlighted the systematic nature of oppression, calling for urgent global action. Diplomatic responses, including sanctions and non-recognition of the Taliban regime, have sought to pressure compliance with international norms. 

The United Nations continues to focus on supporting Afghan women amid the severe restrictions of Taliban’s rule. Support for women-led businesses has been a priority, enabling economic independence despite restrictions. The UN has established community-based health services, such as “Family Health Houses” to provide maternal and childcare. Educational programmes focus on literacy, vocational skills, and income generation, building knowledge essential for empowering women in rural areas where female literacy rates are particularly low.

Navigating relations with the Taliban regime presents a complex challenge for the international community. Direct interaction risks legitimising an oppressive government, while bypassing the regime limits the effectiveness of aid delivery. Geopolitical challenges further complicate the issue, as competing international priorities, including Ukraine and Middle East conflicts, dilute focus and resources.

Conclusion

The ongoing crisis in Afghanistan, under the Taliban’s oppressive rule, is not just a political or humanitarian issue – it is an assault on the very essence of human dignity. The Taliban’s systematic oppression of women constitutes a form of gender apartheid, aimed at eliminating the rights and freedoms of half the population. From banning education and excluding women from the workforce, to enforcing draconian restrictions on daily life, their actions have had devastating effects on Afghan society. These policies not only degrade women, but also tear apart the social and economic fabric of the country, hindering Afghanistan’s ability to recover and thrive.

Yet, amid these challenges, the resilience of Afghan women shines through. Groups  are finding ways to resist the Taliban’s oppressive rule. Underground educational programs like those led by LEARN Afghanistan, provide online classes to girls banned from schools. Women have also taken to the streets in bold protests, demanding rights and justice despite the significant risks of violence and retaliation from authorities. These acts of defiance highlight their refusal to be silenced. 

There is a moral responsibility – and a strategic one – to stand up with Afghan women in their fight for equality and freedom. The global community must continue to speak out, provide support, and apply pressure on the Taliban to ensure that rights are upheld and that Afghanistan’s women are never silenced or forgotten.

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