- The overall well-being of women has seen marked improvement over the decades cannot be disputed. Yes, the misogynistic and patriarchal mindset so widely prevalent in every society across the world is a fact that cannot be discounted either. Even though efforts are afoot from several quarters to usher in gender parity, equality, unbiased treatment, and a level playing field, the overwhelming preference for males continues much against our collective chagrin. Many progressive societies have made an earnest introduction of suitable measures to curb the prevailing disparity and inequality, but there is no denying the fact that gender bias does exist. Thankfully, most of the progressive-minded society is making headway on this front.
PC: Reuters
- Unfortunately, there are certain societies where the plight of women has plunged to the worst depths despite the modern-day world making tremendous progress on every front. Take for instance what’s happening in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan where women are being subjected to inhuman and embarrassing living standards. The whole world is aware of how the dreaded and medieval practices adopted by the fundamentalist Taliban have created such devastation to the dignity of the women’s lot. The latest in the Taliban’s brutal attacks on Afghan women’s choices and freedoms is to ban them from parks. As you are aware, women in Afghanistan are already barred from studying, teaching, working in offices, and earning any money.
- Most depressingly, even farm work, weaving, and embroidery are barred for Afghan women. UN Officials warn of a mental health crisis, with a sharp rise in suicide attempts, because Afghan women see death as preferable to living under current circumstances. Taliban strikes fear as it combs cities to target women who work in education, healthcare, social services, and police. When the Taliban’s medieval misogyny became official policy, not just regular democracies, even the 57-nation Organisation of Islamic Cooperation criticized it. Iran offered Afghan girls online university courses. China and Russia took a dim view, as did Saudi Arabia and Qatar. But now, reactions have settled into a ritual of momentary outrage, which follows every new extreme.
PC: Peter J. Dean
- Moreover, the supposedly international rules-based order seems to have little idea how to tackle the catastrophic fallout on women after the ignominious American departure from Afghanistan. Denying Afghanistan relief supplies because of their treatment of women is not an issue anyone’s talking about. Note that America, which abandoned Afghanistan, sanctioned Russia after it invaded Ukraine. Unfortunately, Afghanistan is now in the club of despair, alongside Yemen and Syria. BRIC’s 2023 declaration made no mention of Afghanistan. There is much deliberation on the Ukraine paras in the proposed G20 communique. But where does Afghanistan feature? What’s happening to women in Afghanistan is terrorism in another form. No one cares though.
