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Taliban timeline: The crackdown on Afghan women's education and rights

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Agence France-Presse

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="A Taliban fighter walks past a beauty salon with images of women defaced using spray paint in Shar-e-Naw in Kabul on Aug. 18, 2021. Wakil Kohsar, AFP/File" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2021/afp/08/19/20210818-taliban-defaced-salon-afp-s.jpg"/><figcaption>A Taliban fighter walks past a beauty salon with images of women defaced using spray paint in Shar-e-Naw in Kabul on Aug. 18, 2021. <em>Wakil Kohsar, AFP/File</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>KABUL — The Taliban have slowly returned to their hardline position against the education of women and their freedoms since their return to power in Afghanistan 16 months ago.</p><p>They argue their rules are in keeping with their interpretation of Islam, although Afghanistan is the only Muslim country that prohibits girls from being educated. </p><p>Here is a timeline of their clampdown:</p><div><strong>Aug 2021: The Taliban return </strong></div><p>The Taliban return to power in Kabul on Aug. 15 during the chaotic final exit of US-led foreign troops, ending a 20-year war and precipitating the collapse of the Western-backed government of President Ashraf Ghani.</p><p>The hardline Islamist group promises a softer rule than their first stint in power, from 1996 to 2001, saying they will honor human rights obligations, including those of women.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/overseas/08/11/22/taliban-stronger-than-ever-a-year-after-takeover">Taliban stronger than ever a year after takeover</a></li></ul><div><strong>Sept 2021: Gender-segregated classrooms </strong></div><p>The Taliban announce on Sept. 12 that women can attend universities with gender-segregated entrances and classrooms, but they can only be taught by professors of the same sex or old men. Other restrictions include the wearing of hijabs as part of a compulsory dress code. </p><div><strong>March 2022: Girls barred from school </strong></div><p>On March 23 girls&#x27; secondary schools are supposed to re-open, but the Taliban rescind the directive and tens of thousands of teenagers are shut out and ordered to stay at home.</p><div><strong>May 2022: Stay at home </strong></div><p>Taliban supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada orders women on May 7 to fully <a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/overseas/05/07/22/taliban-order-afghan-women-to-cover-fully-in-public">cover</a> themselves, including their faces, in public and generally stay at home. Women are also banned from inter-city travel without a male escort.</p><div><strong>Aug 2022: Protests broken up </strong></div><p>Taliban fighters beat women protesters chanting &quot;bread, work and freedom&quot; and fire into the air on Aug. 13 to break up a demonstration outside the education ministry in Kabul.</p><p>The hardline Islamists also detain and beat journalists covering the protests.</p><div><strong>Nov 2022: Parks out of bounds </strong></div><p>Women are banned from entering parks, funfairs, gyms and public baths.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/overseas/11/10/22/taliban-bans-women-from-amusement-parks">Taliban bans women from amusement parks in Afghanistan</a></li></ul><div><strong>Dec 2022: Execution, floggings </strong></div><p>The Taliban carry out their first public execution since returning to power, that of a convicted murderer who is shot dead on Dec. 7 by his victim&#x27;s father in western Farah province.</p><p>The next day, more than 1,000 people watch as 27 Afghans, including women, are flogged in Charikar in central Parwan province for a range of offenses ranging from sodomy and deception to forgery and debauchery.</p><p>Floggings in public have since been regularly carried out in other provinces.</p><div><strong>Dec 2022: No university for women </strong></div><p>Armed guards stop hundreds of young women from entering university campuses on Dec. 21, day after a terse release from the minister for higher education announces an order &quot;suspending the education of females until further notice&quot;. </p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/overseas/12/21/22/taliban-bans-university-education-for-afghan-girls">Taliban bans university education for Afghan girls</a></li></ul><p>© Agence France-Presse </p><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PBWL3doFmto?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div>

The Taliban have returned to their hardline position against the education of women and their freedoms since their return to power in Afghanistan.