The Taliban retook power in part of Afghanistan in 2021. Since then, Islamic law has served as the legal framework in the country. This meant that everyone was required to follow the laws of the religion, and the Taliban issued multiple laws limiting personal rights. On Aug. 21, 2024, a new law called the “Law on the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice” was called into action. The law imposes restrictions on women’s general dress code, voices and other factors of their everyday life as well as restrictions on those who do not follow Islam rule and people of the LGBTQ community, according to euaa.quropa.eu.
There are multiple communities and branches of Islamic religion. Some women who follow this religion cover themselves in a clothing item called a burqa, which covers the entire face and body. Depending on the branch, this can be seen as modesty. Due to the Taliban, it has been forced on the women who live there, according to bbc.com.
This law also states that women will be punished if they sing or speak outside of their homes. Women are required to wear loose clothing so as not to provoke men. They also can not look at any man that is not blood related or related by marriage. Most of the time, they are not allowed to leave their house alone and cannot take public transportation, and some women are not allowed to work. Because of this, some of them have had to take to the streets to beg for food, water or money to get by and support their children. There have also been restrictions when it comes to the segregation of men and women in public, according to unwomen.org.
Associating or assisting people who do not follow the religion of Islam and its customs is strictly prohibited, applying to both men and women. The law also criminalizes and persecutes the LGBTQ community, due to it being prohibited under the Sharia law, according to humandignitytrust.org.
Some women who have been arrested for breaking these laws have reported very poor treatment while being held in their jail cell. There have been reports of brutal beating, berating and sexual assault. Women can face up to 15 years in jail or receive the death penalty if these laws are broken, according to humanandignity.org.
Due to the immigration laws, people who were fleeing the Taliban and coming to the United States have been shut out. With the law shutting them out, people who had recently escaped the Taliban and were living in the United States for years were now being deported and sent back to again be ruled under the Taliban, according to aljazeera.com.
Ways people can help the women and people of Afghanistan is by spreading awareness and donating. The largest charity groups pushing to provide aid in Afghanistan are Afghanaid, Women for Afghan Women, Women’s Regional Network and Women for Women International. Afghanaid helps to work with affected families to try to bring peace to Afghanistan. Women for Afghan Women is an organization that is dedicated to promoting Afghan women’s rights. Women for Women International is currently running a dollar to dollar donation campaign and has raised about $500,000, and reached more than 127,000 women involved. Women’s Regional Network is a network of civil leaders working together to advance women’s rights in Afghanistan, Pakistan and India, according to wfpg.org.
