In the latest, Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada, the leader of the Taliban, has reportedly announced his intentions to impose public floggings and stoning to death as punishments for adultery in Afghanistan. Akhundzada's statement, conveyed through a voice message broadcast on state television, has reignited fears of a regression in women's rights, reminding the Taliban's previous rule from 1996 to 2001.

In his message, Akhundzada was quoted by The Guardian as stating, "We will flog the women… we will stone them to death in public…you may call it a violation of women's rights when we publicly stone or flog them for committing adultery because they conflict with your democratic principles… (But) I represent Allah, and you represent Satan."

The Taliban leader justified these draconian measures as a continuation of the group's resistance against Western influences. "The Taliban’s work did not end with the takeover of Kabul, it has only just begun," he emphasized, as reported by The Guardian.

During Taliban’s rule, Afghanistan has emerged as the sole nation globally where girls are prohibited from attending school beyond the age of 11. Additionally, the group has instituted a policy characterized as "gender apartheid," effectively excluding women from the majority of employment opportunities and public spheres.

In a recent report on Afghanistan’s healthcare crisis, UN Human Rights Watch reveals how women are particularly more affected by the country’s collapsing healthcare system. “Women and girls have been disproportionately affected by the healthcare crisis, particularly because of Taliban abuses. The Taliban’s restrictions on women’s freedom of movement and employment with humanitarian and other organizations have gravely impeded women and girls’ access to health services, while bans on education for women and girls have blocked almost all training of future female healthcare workers in the country,” HRW’s report A Disaster for the Foreseeable Future says.

Another report by International Rescue Committee (IRC) on the prevailing poverty in Pakistan says the dire situation in Afghanistan is disproportionately impacting women and children, who constitute nearly 80% of those in need. This crisis stems primarily from economic instability compounded by severe limitations imposed on women within society. With women-headed households bearing the brunt of increasing food insecurity, mothers are compelled to send their children to work in order to afford basic necessities, leading to a concerning rise in child labour rates.

Moreover, the stringent restrictions on women's employment opportunities are exacerbating the economic downturn, resulting in an estimated economic loss of up to $1 billion, equivalent to approximately 5% of Afghanistan's GDP. To address these challenges and revitalize the economy, it is imperative that women are empowered to participate in the workforce and afforded equal opportunities to contribute to their local economies, thereby safeguarding the future of their nation.

In January 2022, Afghanistan's Taliban authorities declared a ban on women accessing hammams, communal bathhouses, in the northern regions of the country. According to Sardar Mohammad Heydari, an official from a local branch of the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, women in Balkh and Herat provinces will be prohibited from using these facilities, as reported by The Guardian.

Afghans rely on hammams, especially during the winter months, for access to warm water for bathing. Additionally, many Afghan women use these communal bathhouses for ritual ablutions mandated by Islamic law.

More recently, the Taliban implemented a ban prohibiting women from visiting Band-e-Amir National Park, one of Afghanistan's notable tourist destinations. Mohammad Khaled Hanafi, Afghanistan's acting minister of virtue and vice, cited women's alleged failure to adhere to proper hijab standards during park visits as justification for the ban, stating, "Going sightseeing is not a must for women." Hanafi urged security forces and religious leaders to enforce the ban until a resolution was reached.

The decision has sparked reactions from various quarters, with Sayed Nasrullah Waezi, head of the Bamiyan Shia Ulema Council, expressing concerns about visitors' attire, particularly hijab compliance. Established in April 2009, Band-e-Amir National Park holds significance as Afghanistan's inaugural national park and is recognized by UNESCO for its unique geological formations and natural beauty.

Heather Barr, associate director of women's rights at Human Rights Watch, criticized the Taliban's increasingly restrictive measures, noting, "Not content with depriving girls and women of education, employment, and free movement, the Taliban also want to take from them parks and sport and now even nature, as we see from this latest ban on women visiting Band-e-Amir." She underscored the narrowing space for women's autonomy within Afghan society. (IPA Service)