Current Crisis
In the month of August last year, the Taliban took over Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, along with other cities following the U.S. troop withdrawal. Although the Islamic Fundamentalist group promises to protect female rights, respect minority communities and show mercy to those that showed resistance, many believe that it is clear these promises will prove to be disingenuous.
Not only does the Taliban pose a threat to Afghanistan’s economy, healthcare and constitutional rights, but the group also poses a threat to international security due to their potential empowerment of other extremist or terrorist organizations.
It appears that much speculation surrounding the Taliban’s empty promises is true, considering the most recent state of affairs in late March.
Taliban Bans
After being banned from secondary school for several months, young girls were finally able to attend school on March 23. Eager to learn and see their classmates, they were unfortunately told to return home upon arrival.
Claiming a lack of instructors and decisive uniforms are to blame for the extended secondary school shut down, courageous young girls protested in the streets demanding to go to school again. Their demand for justice was unfortunately cut short after Taliban gunmen prompted everyone to stop the protest and flee.
Although unexpected, some are not surprised by the turnaround. The Taliban holds transparent misogynistic views that have led to their ban on Afghan women from traveling without a male chaperone, flying in an airplane without a male chaperone and appearing in television shows of the drama genre.
Speculation Surrounding Superiors
In the midst of the extremely last-minute announcement of the extended school ban, many speculate it to be linked to potential disagreements among the Taliban elites and leaders. Shutting down a school over uniforms is unlikely to be the prominent reason for such an unexpected and untimely announcement that is certain to receive international attention and backlash. It is entirely plausible that there are internal disputes about whether or not girls should be allowed to attend school at all.
The Taliban has since denied this rumor, claiming uniforms and proper instructors are meant to help provide a safer environment for girls to learn. Despite their response, many remain understandably skeptical considering their continuous stripping of Afghan women’s freedoms.
What Can We Do?
There is really nothing that can be done on our end. However, as a female in America that holds the right to do, say and wear whatever I want, I know to never forget what a blessing having an education is. As female college students, we need to take advantage of the opportunities we are given, the textbooks we have access to and the wonderful universities we get to call home.
Sources
Glinsky, Stefanie, and Ruchi Kumar. “Taliban U-Turn over Afghan Girls’ Education Reveals Deep Leadership Divisions.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 25 Mar. 2022, https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2022/mar/25/taliban-u-turn-over-afghan-girls-education-reveals-deep-leadership-divisions-afghanistan.
O’Donnell, Lynne. “Taliban Reversal on Girls’ Education Ignites World’s Anger.” Foreign Policy, THE SLATE GROUP, 29 Mar. 2022, https://foreignpolicy.com/2022/03/29/taliban-girls-education-ban-reversal-afghanistan-schools/.