HAS THE WORLD FORGOTTEN THE PLIGHT OF THE AFGHAN WOMEN?

With the Taliban and command in Afghanistan, serious questions are being raised about the status of women in that country. GAYATRI SINGH dissects the situation on the ground.

- GAYATRI SINGH

Last year India’s Chandrayaan’s Lander Vikram landing on the moon was viewed live on television in India and across the world. The mission control room of the ISRO had a significant number of women space scientists who had contributed to the success of the mission. These women had worked tirelessly for 42 days continuously without seeing the comforts of home. No wonder their families and the Indian society have supported and encouraged these women and many others like them in various fields from medicine, nuclear science, judiciary, law enforcement, hospitality industry and aviation to defence forces.

Around the same time, one also learned of one of the many diktats of the Taliban banning Afghan women from visiting national parks based on the misplaced religious logic that sightseeing is not a must for women. The contrast between the two societies couldn’t have been starker- women in one aiming for the moon and in the other being imprisoned in their homes, barred from venturing out even for sightseeing. But this diktat was nothing new as earlier the Taliban had already closed down beauty salons, and unisex gyms and barred women from education and work. The return of the Taliban has abruptly withered away all gains of women empowerment and gender equality in the last 20 years in Afghanistan. While discussing this issue one cannot forget the liberty and equality of opportunities available to the women of Afghanistan during the reign of Nazir Shah in the 1970s when they were free to dress as they wished, attend universities, work outside homes and have the agency to important decisions of life.