A Quiet Place

A Quiet Place 

One of my favourite items of clothing is a short white dress.

I look forward to school because I am someone who enjoys learning. 

Expressing my views and opinions is incredibly important to me, as a young woman, as it allows me to not only make use of but also enjoy the freedom of speech I’ve been given. 

Now imagine an alternative, almost dystopian universe where neither I nor every girl and woman is permitted to do any of these things and is bound by the law. This is the situation of women in modern Afghanistan.   

In August of 2021, the Taliban, the Sunni Islamist nationalist and pro-Pashtun movement, got complete control of the country of Afghanistan. Recently in the last two weeks, they have imposed a new set of regulations on Afghan women, all of which are regressive as they affect their rights when it comes to clothing, speech, education and even going outside. 

For the past two years, young girls are not permitted to receive education beyond the 6th grade. They are also not allowed to attend university. While these laws are completely barbaric, it simply gets worse. Hospitals have also been instructed to let male doctors treat female patients, and they must also be accompanied by a male family member. 

But what about their healthcare? In 2022, the average number of children Afghan women have is 4, so including the dangers of pregnancy, other illnesses and various complications which are highly likely to occur due to the poor state of the country, women require easily- available healthcare. However, due to the ban on women attending university, there is now a dangerous shortage of female doctors and medical practitioners. Sure, they’re allowed to enrol in state-run medical schools, but they cannot take the medical exit exam, without which one cannot practice medicine. 

But this is just the tip of the iceberg.

Afghan women must now cover every inch of their bodies, must be accompanied by a male relative or their husband when they’re outside and cannot even look at someone who is not their husband or blood relative. This is to ensure that women do not “lead men into temptation or vice.” 

Moreover, according to these new regulations, a woman mustn't sing or read aloud, and should not even be heard from inside her house, as it is now deemed a punishable offence. They believe “the voice of a woman is considered a form of intimacy.” 

A woman’s voice is portrayed to be tempting and vicious. 

A woman’s face or skin is believed to be tempting and vicious. 

A woman’s mere existence is considered to be tempting and vicious. 

They are attempting to render the Afghan women into becoming, faceless, emotionless, shadow-like entities, whose only purpose is to act as the “ideal woman” to the men of the country. 

After reading about how deep the history of these laws runs, I can’t help but wonder: are the Afghan women being forgotten?

Currently, in the United States, women are fighting for their right to abortion, a cause which I believe is rightfully important. 

In India, we’re protesting for justice for Moumita Debnath. 

But what about the women of Afghanistan? 

Who is fighting for them?

Who is aware of their situation?

Who is going to save them?