Women During The Afghan-Soviet War And The Oppression Of Women

The result of the Afghan-Soviet War, ending in 1989, permitted the rise of Taliban oppression where the use of terror was implemented into their power. The Taliban appealed to the people by claiming that following strict Islamic law would relieve all of the chaos and destruction of the previous war. As Taliban power strengthened, very harsh restrictions regarding women were put in place. Women were ostracized from society where they became limited in all aspects of life. This oppression rooted from the horrors of the Afghan-Soviet War which only caused more conflict and maltreatment. The Taliban's violent and challenging history set the stage for the oppression and religious-based rule that dictated the lives of regular civilians, specifically

Afghanistan in the 1970s gave rise to factionalism where Islamists had a very different take compared to groups with more progressive views on women’s role in society. The disputes about the role of a female fuelled the civil war after the Soviet invasion in 1979. The conflict between the determination of women's rights only created sexual violence amidst the chaos that followed the Soviets’ retreat in 1989. When the Taliban first captured Kabul in 1996, one of their stated reasons for imposing brutal orders was to prevent rapes at checkpoints. The Taliban justified their actions by claiming they were supporting these women yet they continued to oppress them. The Taliban regime instantly became infamous for backward gender policies that only continued to escalate. Before the rise of the Taliban, females were given multiple opportunities to strengthen their society where they were able to work and contribute to the economy. According to the UNDP Human Development Report for Afghanistan, “women played a significant role in Afghanistan’s economy during the 1980s, comprising 70 percent of the country’s teachers, 40 percent of its doctors, and half of its government workers'' (Benard 82). Females were able to be educated and

The Taliban implemented laws regarding women and those accompanying them where those who did not comply were subjected to a variety of consequences. The justification on womens clothing was to enforce the right Islamic way in order to “prevent evils” where it was claimed that female clothing causes serious dangers and problems for Islamic society (Islamic State of Afghanistan). The Taliban required all females that left their homes to have a legal escort that should use burqa or similar things to cover the face (Islamic State of Afghanistan). Specifically female doctors were expected to only wear simple clothes and they were not permitted to wear stylish clothes or use cosmetics and makeup (Islamic State of Afghanistan). In order to ensure that no woman is altering her clothing to become slightly more revealing, uf women or fashion magazines are seen in the shop the tailor should be imprisoned (Islamic State of Afghanistan). Each principle that females had to follow rooted from the end of the Afghan-Soviet War where people turned to Islam as an escape which only contributed to these backwards religious laws. The most prominent rule regarding women's clothing was the requirement for all females to wear Hijabs which according to the Islamic faith is to protect women from “evil eyes' '. Anyone involved in women not abiding by laws would be punished along