LOS ANGELES, California — In April 2021, President Biden announced a withdrawal of U.S. military personnel from Afghanistan by September 11, 2021 — the 20th anniversary of 9/11. According to the Washington Post, Biden’s decision arose from an administrative review of military involvement in the region. The Taliban continues to hold significant power after a 20-year war in Afghanistan that caused the deaths of 2,000 U.S. service members and resulted in the injuries or deaths of more than 100,000 Afghan civilians. As U.S. service members withdraw from the region, Congress members expressed concern about the state of autonomy for women and girls in Afghanistan.
Women and Girls in Afghanistan
Under Taliban rule in the 1990s, women and girls experienced extreme systemic oppression, with the Taliban revoking female access to education and economic independence while imposing strict social codes for women.
However, during two decades of U.S. involvement in Afghanistan, female enrollment in education rose “from zero in 2001” to more than three million in 2010. By 2019, women held 25% of parliamentary seats, and millions of Afghan women vote. Women also held positions as “professors, judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys, police” according to Senate Bill 1642. The Protect Women’s and Girls’ Rights in Afghanistan Act of 2021 was introduced by Senator Dianne Feinstein in May 2021, the bill proposes that the Senate monitor treatment of women and girls after the withdrawal of the U.S. military in Afghanistan through a mandatory report from the Secretary of State.
Treatment of Women and Girls Under Taliban Rule
During the Taliban rule of Afghanistan in the 1990s, and in areas of Afghanistan still under Taliban control today, many women and girls are prohibited from obtaining an education and must adhere to strict social codes and dress codes. During Taliban rule in the 1990s, no girls were allowed to attend school.
According to the Human Rights Watch, “few Taliban officials actually permit girls to attend school past puberty.” In some areas of Afghanistan, including the Taliban-held Helmand province, there are no operational schools for girls. Inconsistent guidelines for girls’ schools combined with inconsistent funding for integration of girls into education systems in Taliban-controlled regions, deprived girls of obtaining an education.
Additionally, Human Rights Watch reports that “some local religious leaders” encourage restrictions against women’s movement, asserting that women should not leave their homes, unless out of “extreme necessity.” Women who left their homes without male accompaniment experienced punishment anywhere from minor incitements to beatings. This restriction extended to essential workers. Female doctors working in Taliban-controlled areas reported that the Taliban restricted them from attending work, leaving medical clinics void of doctors to provide necessary health care for female patients.
Progress for Women During US Involvement
Since the beginning of the war in Afghanistan in 2001 and the start of U.S. involvement in the region, 3.3 million girls now attend school, according to Amnesty international. Though women’s rights continue to progress, women hold positions as doctors, teachers, lawyers, politicians, engineers, athletes, activists, journalists, business owners and military members. When peace talks between the U.S. and Afghanistan beginning in September 2020, four women served on “the 21-member Afghan government negotiation team.”
S.1642 outlines the political and educational progress of girls and women since U.S. involvement in Afghanistan. Additionally, the encouraged empowerment of women to engage civically and economically benefited the United States as women advanced economic and peace progress in the region, according to the bill.
Protecting Women and Girls in Afghanistan
In the bill proposed by Sen. Feinstein, the overarching goal is to preserve the rights of women and girls after U.S. withdrawal in September 2021. The bill grants the U.S. government the discretion to refuse financial aid to the Taliban or Afghanistan government if either party restricts the movement of women and refuses to uphold healthcare and education for women, among other restrictions. Furthermore, the policy allows the U.S. government to identify individuals who violate the basic human rights of women, including acts such as domestic violence, murder and lynching.
If the bill passes, the U.S. will be able to continue to support women and girls in Afghanistan through further reinforcement of freedom, education and professional opportunities. After two decades of improvement for women and girls in the region, the bill continues to encourage the advancement of women’s rights and human rights in Afghanistan, promoting peace and economic opportunity throughout the nation.
– Amanda Frese
Photo: Flickr