On April 14, 2021, President Joe Biden announced the withdrawal of United States troops from Afghanistan. Over the past four months, the drawback of US troops has been, overall, successful. At the end of July 2021, when the US military had completed 95 percent of their withdrawal, the Taliban started to gradually take control and seize multiple boarder-crossings and urban areas. By mid-August, they invaded Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan; and as of September 2021, they have reclaimed control over the country.

The Taliban, which is a Pashto term for “student,” is an Islamic purist group that arose in 1994 during the disorder following the withdrawal of the Soviet Union from Afghanistan. By promising to put Islamic values and beliefs as a priority for the country— followed by violent seizures and fighting— they were able to take over Afghanistan in 1996, their rule lasting up to 2001.

When the Taliban came into power, they announced their new government to be an Islamic Emirate, meaning no separation of church and state.

The Taliban imposed the legal doctrine of an “eye for an eye” system; so, for example, if a man is found guilty of a crime of theft, his punishment would be the amputation of his hand.

During the Taliban rule, women’s rights were also continuously infringed upon. Previous to their jurisdiction, women had the right to vote and the right to an education. By the early 1990s, women made up 15 percent of the legislative body as well as: 50 percent of university students, 40 percent of doctors, 50 percent of government workers and 70 percent of teachers.

However, this representation was before the rise of the Taliban. Despite the religion of Islam giving women rights in marriage, divorce and property; the Taliban disregarded those ideals. They discriminated against women by reducing their health care, banning them from receiving an education, restricting their right to leave their house without male authority and imposed a strict dress code. This infringement drove the general populace of women into severe poverty.

The Taliban additionally forced women to quit their jobs, which left large gaps in many fields of work and revoked a large amount of talent in certain occupations.

Health care restrictions for women did not allow a male physician to medically examine them unless they were fully clothed. This made it nearly impossible for women to receive the proper exams needed to have a clean bill of health. In turn, the maternal and infant mortality rate increased during the Taliban rule. During this time, Afghanistan had the second highest maternal mortality rate, with 16 percent of women dying during childbirth.

The Taliban also banned education for women. Girls ages eight or older were not allowed to attend school. Homeschooling, although not outlawed, was also highly looked down upon. They were also prohibited from attending Kabul University.

Women were not allowed to leave the house unless accompanied by their husband or a male family member, otherwise they were at risk of being beaten by a member of the government. If a married woman were to be found walking with another male, she could be executed.

The Taliban forced women to conform to a strict dress code, which consists of a burqa; a large garment that covers a woman’s body from head to toe. Along with the burqa, women were also forbidden to wear makeup, nail polish, white socks and shoes that make noise such as high heels.

However, since the abolishment of Taliban rule in 2001, women slowly redeemed their dignity, rights and independence. Yet the restoration of women rights in Afghanistan is now being threatened by the return of the Taliban currently.

The relationship between the Taliban and the United States is incredibly precarious due to their role in the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The Taliban offered a sanctuary for terrorist groups such as al-Qaeda, which organized the events of 9/11. Following those events, the Taliban refused to hand over Osama bin Laden, al-Qaeda’s leader, to the United States. The Taliban retreated from Afghanistan in November of 2001 after a series of bombings and troop invasions by the United States, along with the help of Great Britain. US troops remained in Afghanistan for the past 20 years until they withdrew in April 2021.

Based on previous governing methods during their rule and their role in terrorist attacks, The United Nations (UN) has concerns that if the Taliban rule again, new democratic institutions, national security, and citizen rights— most notably women’s rights— will be in jeopardy.

The Taliban claims that they will continue to respect women and allow them to continue their new modern lives as it has been over the past 20 years. During an interview with an NBC reporter, a spokesperson for the Taliban named Zabihallah Mujahid talked about how they will change their treatment of women.

“They are our sisters, we must show them respect. They should not be frightened. The Taliban are human and from this country. They fought for our country. Women should be proud of us, not scared,” said Mujahid.

Despite the Taliban claiming that they will be governing differently than how they did in the past, many are extremely concerned that women will be forced back into the dark ages, and any form of democratic government will cease to exist.

This news is difficult to hear and process because it is so different from our daily lives now.

Our staff also wanted the opinion of the Louisville community.

“It honestly makes me so sad knowing that millions of young girls and women in Afghanistan are being robbed of their rights, work and education. It's difficult to feel so powerless and having to just sit and watch Afghanistan regress to the Taliban’s oppressive control. It’s something that I know that I will never have to experience which makes it so painful to know that girls my age are being stripped of the opportunities and security that they had before,” said Dzian Tran ’23.

Over the past twenty years, Afghanistan girls were starting to attend school and started to prepare to go to university. This now might not be a possibility.

“I definitely hate what is happening in Afghanistan right now. In regards to the treatment of women, it makes my heart ache especially about the fact that they just banned school for girls. But it truly is so sad with everything going on right now,” said Sascha Ward ’22.

Going to school, taking a bus, hopping in a car, and selecting books we want to read are all everyday simple actions that we take for granted.

“What’s happening in Afghanistan has opened my eyes to all that i take for granted; basic things that we do every single day have been robbed from so many innocent lives instantly. It is terrifying how quickly one’s right to simply exist with dignity and freedom can vanish so quickly. It’s something i never imagined could become a reality in the world we live in today,” said Lola Lambe ’24.

If you would like to learn more about who the Taliban are and what is happening in Afghanistan, you can read “Report on the Taliban’s War Against Women” on the U.S. Department of State Archive website or watch any White House press meetings regarding Afghanistan.