The imposition of restrictions in Afghanistan one after another has led to concerns. As the reports of multiple sources including the BBC and CNN indicate, the Taliban government, which came to power in 2021 though waging a rapid war against the then democratically elected Afghan government, has been putting restrictions on its citizens almost unprecedentedly. But — since then —the restrictions were mostly imposed by the government on freedom of expression, women’s rights and the rights of minorities. While there is anger among the Afghans, there is international criticism against such restrictions. But there are no positive outcomes. More importantly, it remains unclear how much these will be addressed.
Political and other reasons have been playing a role in putting restrictions by the government in Afghanistan. But the vision of an “Islamic Emirate” is probably the main reason for the restrictions. The Taliban government has restricted girls from attending secondary school and university and banned women from working in most public sector jobs, international on-government organizations, and the United Nations. Even beauty salons, a key source of female employment, have been ordered to close. While the space for opposition is nil, since there is no political party, the media landscape has been gutted through surveillance, censorship, and the threat of violence. Ethnic and religious minorities, such as the Hazara, also face discrimination and are targeted with violence and property demolitions.
But whatever the reasons may be, the restrictions put on Afghans have impacted the lives of many. It has led to economic and other impacts on many men and women in Afghanistan. Restrictions imposed in Afghanistan have led to a severe humanitarian crisis, a catastrophic erosion of women’s and girls’ rights, amounting to institutionalized gender apartheid, and a deepening economic collapse. While Afghanistan’s economy has contracted by more than 25 percent —especially since August 2021 — due to a combination of foreign aid cuts, sanctions, and frozen national assets, it is experiencing its worst hunger crisis, with millions of families without enough food, exacerbated by a lack of international aid and job opportunities.
Hundreds of media outlets including newspapers have been closed by the government in Afghanistan, where the media had better freedom a few years ago, leading to the limited scope of expressing the reasoned concerns of the Afghans and addressing them. The ongoing crisis since 2021 has led to increased risks of child marriage, child labor and other negative impacts, with vulnerable groups such as women, children, and ethnic minorities disproportionately affected. The negative impacts affect nearly every aspect of Afghan life. But there is a lack of government focus on the outcomes of such restrictions, indicating the sheer government indifference toward people.
But various reasons including the Taliban’s ideological rigidity and the absence of a formal legal framework that recognizes international norms make it difficult to establish the rights of the Afghans, at least those rights that are reasonable. While some Taliban officials may be more pragmatic, hardliners have consistently won out in policy decisions— making a consistent and moderate approach difficult to achieve. But diplomatic isolation and the international community’s lack of unified leverage have also been playing a crucial role. The withdrawal of transnational organizations has not only facilitated the imposition of restrictions but also made it difficult to address concerns.
Rights are desired to be ensured in every country including Afghanistan. Restoring diplomatic relations can be helpful. The government at least needs to address those concerns that are reasonable. Instead of a total ban on higher education for women, providing them with the scope of at least secondary education can be helpful. But addressing the outcomes including economic hardship is crucial. Media freedom needs to be ensured as this helps identify concerns and address them.
