By: Shukria Kohistani
A number of Afghan women in their interviews with The Kabul Times correspondent by expressing concern over increasing insecurities and surge in Taliban attacks and their uncertain future said fear surrounded them of losing achievements they have gained in the past 20 years. They say they have been able to take effective steps towards developments in politics and economy in the past 20 years.
“Although Afghan women have experienced all restrictions and prohibitions imposed during the Taliban regime and better understand the recurrence of this situation, the generation born few years back after the Taliban regime in the last two decades has accustomed with an open democratic environment; therefore, they won’t tolerate a closed space with the nature of dictatorship and misogynistic,” said Zakia, an Afghan entrepreneur.
She said the new generation, having mostly MA and PhD with great aspirations and big hopes to contribute to the development and progress of the country, has been now disappointed as the Taliban has intensified their attacks across the country. But, there is still hope as the international community is committed to supporting the Afghan government particularly the Afghan women. If they don’t support, all achievements the Afghan women have achieved in the past 20 years will be lost.
Nafisa, another Afghan women activist, says currently, a large number of Afghan women working as teachers, health workers and other fields for government and non-government institutions have lost their employment due to surge in Taliban attacks in districts and remote areas of the country.
“Taliban has imposed heavy limitations on Afghan women in all those districts and areas they have captured in the past two months. All women have been told to leave their employment and sit at home, showing clear cruelty of the group,” Nafisa said.
It is said that a number of female teachers in Taliban under-control districts say they don’t get out of their homes as Taliban fighters are walking around and have imposed limitations on women and girls. According to these women, they cannot go to school to teach in case schools get opened as Taliban are looking for any excuses to punish them.
Currently, all development and social activities have been suspended in areas and districts Taliban has recently captured. Taliban has imposed strict and heavy limitations on women in particular in all those areas and districts they have taken the full control in the past two months.
Taliban’s behavior and treatment is all against the civil and democratic values, while a number of Islamic countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia and other Islamic countries have turned to maintain reconciliation between modern and religious values through dialogue rather than confront them violently and forcibly.
All those Afghan women who have lost their employment amid surge in Taliban attacks and increasing insecurities in different parts of the country are asking the government to retake all those districts Taliban have taken the control in the past two months. They hope security is maintained in their areas so that they can go to work once again.
