When Feminism Meets Basic Human Rights: Women in Afghanistan

The Artist - Shamsia Hassani

Born April 1988, is the first female graffiti artist of Afghanistan. Through her artworks, Shamsia portrays Afghan women in a male dominant society.

Her art gives Afghan women a different face, a face with power, ambitions, and willingness to achieve goals. The woman character used in her artworks portrays a human being who is proud, loud, and can bring positive changes to people’s lives. During the last decade of post-war era in Afghanistan, Shamsia’s works have brought in a huge wave of color and appreciation to all the women in the country.

Check out more of her work on her website.

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By: Zaara Hisamuddin

Sometimes when I'm enjoying my nightly Instagram doomscroll, I come across viral “red-pill” content that tries to undermine a woman’s intelligence and autonomy. I watch influencers complain about modern feminism and ask women on the street, “What rights do women even need to fight for nowadays?” While there is, in fact, legislation passed in our country that suppresses women and their bodily autonomy, these "influencers" seem to forget that American women don't only stand for US women's rights. They think they're proving a point, but the only thing that’s being proven is their ignorance of international issues.

As a teenage girl who is able to write this article and express my thoughts, I am incredibly grateful for the choices and opportunities I have. However, many girls across the world cannot say the same. I'm talking about the girls who don't even have basic rights like education and freedom of speech. Last month, new legislation was passed in Afghanistan, permitting husbands to physically discipline their wives as long as there were no “broken bones or open wounds.” The Taliban's rule over the Afghan government has made life increasingly dangerous and miserable for women who are subject to unimaginable laws such as this one. 

After the United States ended its 20-year-long occupation of Afghanistan, the Taliban (an Islamist political group with a strict and extremist interpretation of Islamic law) reclaimed their power and took over the government. Their authoritarian regime has brought the country to shambles since, as their citizens grow poorer, and their media becomes increasingly dishonest. However, their treatment of women causes the most outrage across the world. Women are not even allowed to speak in public and must be accompanied by a male. They’re banned from going to public parks and bathhouses. The consequences of breaking these rules, even ones as simple as not wearing the hijab, are torture, abuse, detention, and sexual assault.   

According to the UN, women's formal education is prohibited past the sixth grade. In fact, due to economic or safety reasons, 30% of girls don't even have a chance to reach the sixth grade. Some women can resist these restrictions by hosting “secret” schools in their homes and attending online schools. Human rights organizations have also reported increasing mental health issues among Afghan women as restrictions intensify. Due to the country’s economic despair, some families require their children to stay at home and help around the house. When they're finished with their short-lived education, young girls are married off due to these economic hardships. Of course, with little education comes few job opportunities, and the Taliban has made sure to narrow down the remaining options for Afghan women. They are banned from working in national and international nongovernmental organizations and UN agencies. 

Healthcare for women is also constantly ignored and dangerous to receive. Since it's so dangerous for Afghan women to leave their homes, they refrain from seeking medical attention. Women are not allowed to be seen by male doctors. However, only a few women are practicing medicine, because Afghan laws ban them from pursuing higher education in fields such as medicine. Lack of healthcare and an increase in child pregnancy are huge factors in the increasing mortality rate of Afghan women.

Afghanistan is one of the many societies where women are put in constant danger due to domestic violence, political suppression, and social ostracization. Ignorance of female rights issues often stems from a lack of education and global awareness. I want these "influencers" to understand that not only do American feminists stand for women’s rights in the US, but they also support basic rights for women across the globe.