Tag: Women in Afghanistan

  • Activist Malala Yousafzai sends support to Afghanistan women’s football team

    Women’s rights activist and Noble Prize winner Malala Yousafzai has expressed her support for the women’s football team from Afghanistan, who were banned by the current Taliban government from playing the sport after the takeover in 2021. Currently, the team resides in Melbourne, Australia, where they escaped to in 2021, but right now the football team is not recognised by the government or the FIFA organisation.

    “I’m very sad. I was expecting a lot more for football’s governing body,” said Khalida Popal, who was the former captain of the women’s football team.

    “[Fifa needs] to stand with these women. We want leadership – we need a strong voice to stand with us. Don’t keep silent.”

    Currently, the Afghanistan Women’s Football team is being sponsored by the Australian professional football club Melbourne Victory, and now activist and Nobel Prize winner Malala Yousafzai has joined the ranks in calling for the team to be recognised by FIFA.

    The producer behind ‘Joyland’ was in Melbourne to watch the Women’s World Cup and shared a post of her meeting the team members of the Afghanistan women’s football team, writing that she was inspired by their bravery and determination.

    “I came to Melbourne because of a story. The New York Times published an incredible account of the keeper for the Afghanistan Women’s Team and how its founder @khalida_popal_girlpower helped the players escape near-certain death after the Taliban gained control and banned women’s sports. I was inspired by their bravery and determination. They were so proud to play for their national team and now they were burying their jerseys to avoid being caught and killed.

    Today, I finally met the AWT in person— including Fatima and Khalida — to continue to support their campaign to be recognised by FIFA. This is the power of stories and why we must continue to share them. You never know who could be listening.”

    The Pakistan-born activist urged her followers to read more about the football team and to donate funds to help support them as they live in exile and away from their families

  • Taliban refuse to let women work and go to school

    Afghan Taliban have once again rejected international calls to lift the ban they imposed on women’s work and education, after the United Nations sanctions committee concluded in Doha without formally recognising the administration in Afghanistan.

    Suhail Shaheen, head of the Taliban political office in Doha pointed out that the meeting’s decisions cannot be accepted or implemented when the government in Afghanistan is not part of the process.

    In a meeting where over 20 countries’ representatives were present, the Taliban administration was not invited.

    When asked by a journalist if there will ever be a situation when he will meet the Taliban directly, UN Chief António Guterres said: “If the time is right, I will not deny the possibility.”

    Afghan Foreign Minister (FM) Amir Khan Muttaqi will reportedly visit Pakistan in a couple of days.

  • ‘They don’t like being told what to do’: Imran Khan holds back from criticising Taliban ban on girls’ education

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, in an interview with Matt Frei for Channel 4, talked about the rigid ban imposed by Afghanistan Taliban on girls’ education.

    When asked whether he will tell them to let the girls go to school, he responded by saying that he knows Afghan character much more than anyone else in the West. “They dont like being told what to do,” Imran Khan said.

    He then urged the world to engage with the Taliban, stressing that only then the group will listen to them.

    He said, “If the West wants to influence them, they must mainstream them. I kept telling them to engage. If you isolate them, what influence are you going to have on them.”

    “My advice is to get them involved, give them a stake in the international community so when you tell them to educate girls, they will listen to you.”

    According to him, right now they react when the world questions their policy toward women.

    We are heading toward martial law: Imran Khan

    In the interview, the deposed prime minister said that the postponement of elections by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is a violation of the constitution.

    He said that five judges of the Supreme Court categorically said that elections should be held on April 30.

    “The worry right now is that we are heading towards martial law”, said Khan.

  • Male doctors can’t treat female patients, Taliban announce ban

    Male doctors can’t treat female patients, Taliban announce ban

    The Directorate of Public Affairs and Hearing of Taliban Complaints in the Balkh province, Afghanistan, has announced that male doctors are no longer allowed to treat female patients.

    According to Afghan newspaper Hasht-e-Subah, the Taliban also announced that working rooms for male and female healthcare workers should be seperated, and female patients should reach out to female health workers instead of male ones for their problems.

    It further banned men from walking into the rooms of female patients.

    The Taliban have placed a number of restrictions on women including a ban on education, barring them from attending high school or university in December of last year. In November, 2022, the Taliban had banned women from entering Kabul’s parks or funfairs.

  • Taliban ask female TV anchors to cover faces, male anchors wear face masks in solidarity

    Taliban ask female TV anchors to cover faces, male anchors wear face masks in solidarity

    Days after the Taliban issued an order requiring female TV presenters to cover their faces at work, their male colleagues went on air wearing face masks in solidarity. Male anchors from numerous major news organisations, including TOLO News and 1TV News, have initiated a social media campaign posting images of themselves with the hashtag #FreeHerFace.

    https://twitter.com/heatherbarr1/status/1529158595773771776

    In the pictures circulating on social media, male and female staff members of a news channel can be seen sitting together in an office full of screens, all wearing black masks.

    Male anchors of TOLO News and 1TV News went on air with their face masks on.

    Taliban officials announced earlier this month that all women and girls must leave home only when necessary and wear head-to-toe clothing when out in public.

    Read more- Taliban orders TV presenters to cover their faces on air, Twitter protests

    Taliban authorities have also prohibited girls from attending school after sixth grade, reversing previous Taliban promises that girls of all ages would be permitted to attend school.

  • Taliban orders TV presenters to cover their faces on air, Twitter protests

    Taliban orders TV presenters to cover their faces on air, Twitter protests

    Taliban authorities issued a decree on Wednesday, ordering female Afghan TV presenters and other women on screen to cover their faces while appearing on air.

    The Afghan spokesman of the Ministry for the Prevention of Vice and Promotion of Virtue announced that it will be mandatory for all women in the country to cover their faces in public, including those who appear on the screen. The new decree will take effect from 21 May, reports Reuters.

    One female Afghan journalist working for a local TV station in Kabul told BBC, “They are putting indirect pressure on us to stop us presenting on TV.”

    “How can I read the news with my mouth covered? I don’t know what to do now but I must work, I am the breadwinner of my family,” she added.

    The spokesman referred to the ruling as “advice” as it is not clear what will happen to anyone who fails to comply. “Based on information received by Tolo news, the order has been issued to all media outlets in Afghanistan.”

    The decision is being widely criticised on Twitter, many people calling it another step by the Taliban to promote extremism.

    https://twitter.com/GirlFrmKandahar/status/1527314957603586048?s=20&t=r4iohvWbRdMzY75VbhVVPQ
    https://twitter.com/Zhalsarmast/status/1527575760705204225?s=20&t=r4iohvWbRdMzY75VbhVVPQ

    https://twitter.com/GaheezSaapai/status/1527434149362946048?s=20&t=r4iohvWbRdMzY75VbhVVPQ

    It is pertinent to mention that this recent ruling has come two weeks after all women were ordered to cover themselves from head to toe in public.

  • Taliban dissolve US-backed Human Rights Commission in Afghanistan

    Taliban dissolve US-backed Human Rights Commission in Afghanistan

    Taliban authorities dissolved the United States (US)-backed Human Rights Commission in Afghanistan and other five key departments on Monday as the country faces an economic crisis.

    The Afghan government’s spokesman Inamullah Samangani told Reuters, “These departments were not deemed necessary and were not included in the budget, they have been dissolved.”

    However, he added that these departments could be reactivated in the future “if needed”.

    The announcement was made in the country’s first annual budget since the Taliban takeover. The budget stated that Afghanistan faces a budget deficit of 44 billion Afghanis ($501 million) this financial year.

    Samangani said the budget was “based on objective facts” and intended only for departments that had been active and productive.

    The High Council for National Reconciliation (HCNR), the National Security Council, and the commission for overseeing the implementation of the Afghan Constitution have also been dissolved. It is pertinent to mention that HCNR was last headed by former Chief Executive Officer of Afghanistan Abdullah Abdullah who was working to negotiate peace between the US-backed government of former Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and the then-insurgent Taliban.

    Last week, the Taliban ordered women to cover themselves from head to toe in public, expanding a series of oppressive restrictions on women.

  • US to pressure Taliban if they don’t remove restrictions on women

    US to pressure Taliban if they don’t remove restrictions on women

    The United States (US) has said that it will put pressure on Afghanistan’s Taliban government if the group does not reverse some of its recent restrictions on Afghan women, reports Reuters.

    US State Department spokesperson Ned Price reported saying on Monday: “We have addressed it directly with the Taliban. We have a number of tools that, if we feel these won’t be reversed, these won’t be undone, that we are prepared to move forward with.”

    Last week, the hardline group ordered women to cover themselves from head to toe in public, expanding a series of oppressive restrictions on women that dictate nearly every aspect of public life.

    Recently, the Taliban has reportedly stopped issuing driving licenses to women. However, there has been no official confirmation. Local media reports, cited by news agencies, said verbal orders have been issued to stop giving driving licenses to women, according to the Independent UK.

    Despite the fact that the international community, has on multiple occasions, made the education of girls a key demand for any future recognition of the Taliban administration, the group has barred Afghan girls from going to school beyond the seventh grade. Moreover, they have restricted women and girls from working and have limited their travel unless accompanied by a close male relative.

  • Taliban to reopen universities, silence on female students maintained

    Taliban to reopen universities, silence on female students maintained

    The Taliban acting Higher Education Minister Shaikh Abdul Baqi Haqqani has made an announcement that the public universities will be opened next month, i.e. February, across the country without specifying whether female students would be able to return or not.

    According to Reuters, the minister said universities in warmer provinces will reopen from February 2, while those in colder areas would reopen on February 26.

    The minister did not say what arrangements, if any, would be made for female students. However, earlier this month, government officials said that they hope to open all schools for girls and women in the country after March 21 but stressed that girls and boys must be completely segregated in schools.

    Since Taliban’s takeover in August, girls in most of Afghanistan have not been allowed back to school beyond grade seven. However, private universities in Kabul are still operating.

    Western governments have made education for female students a part of their demands as the Taliban seek more foreign aid and the unfreezing of overseas assets for which they have called Muslim countries to recognise them and made a recent visit to Oslo, Norway, where they presented their demands.

  • Taliban call for Muslim nations to recognise them

    Taliban call for Muslim nations to recognise them

    Afghan Prime Minister (PM) Mohammad Hassan Akhund has called on Muslim nations to be the first to officially recognise the government that seized power in Afghanistan in August.

    “I call on Muslim countries to take the lead and recognise us officially. Then I hope we will be able to develop quickly”, Akhund said and stressed that it’s for the public.

    No country has yet recognised the Taliban government. After they gained power, they promised rights for women but they are largely excluded from government employment, and secondary schools for girls are closed.

    According to the recently released report by United Nations (UN), jobs have dried up and women’s employment levels are extremely low by global standards.

    The lack of work also threatens to worsen child labour levels in Afghanistan, where only 40 per cent of children aged five to 17 years old attend school. Moreover, the UN has warned that half the population is threatened with food shortages.

    Last month, a special meeting of the 57-member Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) was held to discuss the Afghanistan crisis. However, Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister (FM) was excluded from the official photograph taken during the event.