Taliban’s Gender Policy and Its Implications for International Relations

Abstract

This research pertains to the tenets of the Taliban’s gender policy and its roots within a particular political discourse and foreign policy. Further, the research examines the cognition of related countries on Afghanistan’s gender policy and the impact of this policy on the country’s inter-state relations. This paper collects and analyses news articles and recent reports published as the supporting database and published material from JSTOR, ProQuest, Web of Science, Scopus, Gender Studies, and Wiley. The social and historical evolution of Afghanistan is discussed to better comprehend the historical trajectory of gender policy and inequality, as well as the political and diplomatic positions of different countries in Afghanistan, Central Asia, and Asia. Their views on gender policies have a profound impact on its national political and economic situation and the vested interests of power that are concerned about gender equality in Afghanistan. To conclude, the article recommends how countries should approach Afghanistan and the Taliban regime to improve international relations and its foreign policies with countries of strategic significance while enhancing women’s position in the country.

Keywords:

• Taliban
• Gender Policy
• Afghanistan
• International Relations

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

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2 Ibid.

3 Z. Nishat, J. Shelley, S. Karimi and E. El-Badawy, ‘Why do people in Afghanistan object to Taliban rule?’, Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, available at: https://institute.global/policy/why-do-people-afghanistan-object-taliban-rule (accessed 22 September 2022).

4 F. Ghasemi and S. Erfani, ‘Structural challenges of the international system and the US security strategies in Afghanistan’, International Journal of Modern Agriculture 10(2), (2021), pp. 3644–3653.

5 ‘Women can study in gender-segregated universities, say Afghan Taliban’, DAWN, available at: https://www.dawn.com/news/1645976 (accessed 12 September 2021).

6 H. Ahmed-Ghosh, ‘A history of women in Afghanistan: lessons learnt for the future or yesterdays and tomorrow: women in Afghanistan’, Journal of International Women’s Studies 4(3), (2003), pp. 1–14.

7 K. Diyarbakirlioglu and S. Yigit, ‘The women of Afghanistan: past and present challenges’, Journal of Social Science Studies 4(2), (2017), pp. 208–216. See also: S. Wheeler, The Ameer Abdur Rahman (London: Bliss, Sands and Foster, 1895).

8 H. Ahmed-Ghosh, ‘A history of women in Afghanistan: lessons learnt for the future or yesterdays and tomorrow: women in Afghanistan’, Journal of International Women’s Studies 4(3), (2003), pp. 1–14.

9 G. Leclerc and R. Shreeves, ‘Women’s rights in Afghanistan: an ongoing battle’, European Parliamentary Research Service, (April 2023), available at: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/BRIE/2023/747084/EPRS_BRI(2023)747084_EN.pdf.

10 Ibid.

11 M. Kamali, ‘References to Islam and women in the Afghan constitution’, Arab Law Quarterly 22(3), (2008), pp. 270–306.

12 S. Samar, ‘Feminism, peace, and Afghanistan’, Journal of International Affairs 72(2), (2019), pp. 145–158.

13 Ibid.

14 G. Leclerc and R. Shreeves, ‘Women’s rights in Afghanistan: an ongoing battle’, European Parliamentary Research Service, (April 2023).

15 Ibid.

16 Ibid.

17 P. Boghani, ‘‘Brink of collapse’: how frozen assets & halted foreign aid are impacting the Afghan people’, PBS, available at: https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/article/taliban-takeover-how-frozen-assets-foreign-aid-impacts-afghanistan/ (accessed 12 October 2021).

18 V. Iacopino, ‘The Taliban’s war on women: a health and human rights crisis in Afghanistan: a report by physicians for human rights’, Boston: Physicians for Human Rights, 1998.

19 B. Wormald, ‘The world’s Muslims: religion, politics and society’, Pew Forum, (30 April 2013), pp. 41–57.

20 A. Brown and L. Grenfell, ‘The international crime of gender-based persecution and the Taliban’, Melbourne Journal of International Law 4(2), (2003), pp. 347–375.

21 H. Mashwani, ‘Female education in Afghanistan: opportunities and challenges’, International Journal for Innovative Research in Multidisciplinary Field 3(11), (2017), available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3084799.

22 J. Schulz and L. Schulz, ‘The darkest of ages: Afghan women under the Taliban’, Peace and Conflict 5(3), (1999), pp. 237–254. See also: L. Goodson, ‘Perverting Islam: Taliban social policy toward women’, Central Asian Survey 20(4), (2001), pp. 415–426. See also: R. Skaine, The Women of Afghanistan under the Taliban (Jefferson: McFarland & Company, 2010).

23 R. Skaine, The Women of Afghanistan under the Taliban (Jefferson: McFarland & Company, 2010).

24 L. Goodson, ‘Perverting Islam: Taliban social policy toward women’, Central Asian Survey 20(4), (2001), pp. 415–426.

25 G. Leclerc and R. Shreeves, ‘Women’s rights in Afghanistan: an ongoing battle’, European Parliamentary Research Service, (April 2023).

26 Ibid.

27 H. Mashwani, ‘Female education in Afghanistan: opportunities and challenges’, International Journal for Innovative Research in Multidisciplinary Field 3(11), (2017).

28 M. Kugelman, ‘The politics of Taliban recognition’, South Asian Voices, available at: https://southasianvoices.org/the-politics-of-taliban-recognition/ (accessed 10 November 2021).

29 N. Shah, ‘The constitution of Afghanistan and women’s rights’, Feminist Legal Studies 13, (2005), pp. 239–258.

30 S. Kolhatkar, ‘The impact of US intervention on Afghan women’s rights’, Berkeley Journal of Gender, Law and Justice 17, (2002), p. 12.

31 ‘History of Afghan women’s rights’, Bloomberg, available at: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-08-18/the-up-and-down-history-of-afghan-women-s-rights-quicktake (accessed 18 August 2021).

32 K. Cordell, Rebuilding Afghanistan in Times of Crisis (New York: Routledge, 2019), pp. 90–104.

33 F. Moore, ‘Historical geography, feminist research and the gender politics of the present’, Geography Compass 12(9), (2018).

34 ‘History of Afghan women’s rights’, Bloomberg, available at: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-08-18/the-up-and-down-history-of-afghan-women-s-rights-quicktake (accessed 18 August 2021).

35 M. Mashal, ‘Taliban and US strike deal to withdraw American troops from Afghanistan’, The New York Times, available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/29/world/asia/us-taliban-deal.html (accessed 1 March 2020).

36 J. Hollingsworth, ‘Who are the Taliban and how did they take control of Afghanistan so swiftly?’, CNN, available at: https://edition.cnn.com/2021/08/16/middleeast/taliban-control-afghanistan-explained-intl-hnk/index.html (accessed 24 August 2021).

37 E. Graham-Harrison, ‘‘We are struggling’: two former officials at Afghan women’s affairs ministry’, The Guardian, available at: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jan/16/we-are-struggling-two-former-officialsafghan-women-affairs-ministry (accessed 16 January 2022).

38 J. Hollingsworth, ‘Who are the Taliban and how did they take control of Afghanistan so swiftly?’, CNN (accessed 24 August 2021).

39 G. Leclerc and R. Shreeves, ‘Women’s rights in Afghanistan: an ongoing battle’, European Parliamentary Research Service, (April 2023).

40 Ibid.

41 ‘Afghanistan: Taliban announce new rules for female students’, BBC News, available at: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-58537081/ , (accessed 12 September 2021).

42 R. Amiri and A. Jackson, ‘Key messages Taliban attitudes and policies towards education’, Centre for the Study of Armed Groups, available at: https://cdn.odi.org/media/documents/taliban_attitudes_towards_education.pdf (accessed 10 February 2021).

43 G. Leclerc and R. Shreeves, ‘Women’s rights in Afghanistan: an ongoing battle’, European Parliamentary Research Service, (April 2023).

44 Ibid.

45 E. Graham-Harrison, ‘‘We are struggling’: two former officials at Afghan women’s affairs ministry’, The Guardian, (16 January 2022).

46 R. Amiri and A. Jackson, ‘Key messages Taliban attitudes and policies towards education’, Centre for the Study of Armed Groups, (10 February 2021).

47 E. Graham-Harrison, ‘‘We are struggling’: two former officials at Afghan women’s affairs ministry’, The Guardian, (16 January 2022).

48 M. Mirchandani, ‘The realignment of geopolitics after the Taliban takeover and what it means for India’, ORF, available at: https://www.orfonline.org/expert-speak/the-realignment-of-geopolitics-after-the-taliban-takeover-and-what-it-means-for-india/ (accessed 18 August 2021),

49 UN Women, ‘Gender alert: women’s rights in Afghanistan: where are we now?’, (December 2021), available at: https://www.unwomen.org/sites/default/files/2021-12/Gender-alert-Womens-rights-in-Afghanistan-en.pdf.

50 T. Ruttig, ‘Have the Taliban changed?’, Combating Terrorism Center at West Point 14(3), (2021), available at: https://www.ctc.usma.edu/have-the-taliban-changed/. See also: R. Amiri and A. Jackson, ‘Key messages Taliban attitudes and policies towards education’, Centre for the Study of Armed Groups, (10 February 2021).

51 P. Boghani, ‘‘Brink of collapse’: how frozen assets & halted foreign aid are impacting the Afghan people’, PBS, (12 October 2021).

52 ‘Taliban say failure to recognise their government could have global effects’, Reuters, available at: https://tribune.com.pk/story/2327088/taliban-says-failure-to-recognise-their-government-could-have-global-effects (accessed 31 October 2021). See also: A. Nemat, A. Asady, N. Raufi, N. Zaki, E. Ehsan, N. Noor and Q. Zeng, ‘A Survey of the healthcare workers in Afghanistan during the COVID-19 pandemic’, The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 104(2), (2020), pp. 537–539.

53 World Bank, ‘Population, female (% of total population)-Afghanistan’, (2021), available at: https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.POP.TOTL.FE.ZS?locations=AF.

54 World Economic Forum, ‘Global gender report 2021’, available at: https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_GGGR_2021.pdf (accessed 30 March 2021).

55 UN Women, ‘Gender alert: women’s rights in Afghanistan: where are we now?’, (December 2021).

56 World Bank, ‘Afghanistan’s development gains: progress and challenges’, (2021), available at: https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/bitstream/handle/10986/33209/Afghanistans-Development-Gains-Progress-and-Challenges.pdf?sequence=5.

57 UN Women, ‘Gender alert: women’s rights in Afghanistan: where are we now?’, (December 2021).

58 World Bank, ‘Afghanistan’s development gains: progress and challenges’, (2021).

59 World Economic Forum, ‘Global gender report 2021’, (30 March 2021).

60 T. Ruttig, ‘Have the Taliban changed?’, Combating Terrorism Center at West Point 14(3), (2021), .

61 UN Women, ‘Gender alert: women’s rights in Afghanistan: where are we now?’, (December 2021).

62 UNDP, ‘Human development report 2013: the rise of the South: human progress in a diverse world’, available at: http://hdr.undp.org/sites/default/files/Country-Profiles/AFG.pdf (accessed 1 January 2013).

63 UN Women, ‘Gender alert: women’s rights in Afghanistan: where are we now?’, (December 2021).

64 ‘How the world reacted to Taliban takeover of Kabul’, Aljazeera, (16 August 2021).

65 C. Witte and T. Steiner, ‘How China’s Afghanistan policy impacts its approach to the Middle East’, The Washington Institute, available at: https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/how-chinas-afghanistan-policy-impacts-its-approach-middle-east (accessed 13 October 2021).

66 S. Myers, ‘China offers the Taliban a warm welcome while urging peace talks’, New York Times, available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/28/world/asia/china-taliban-afghanistan.html?_ga=2.233453982.1855067377.1698807029-1495125602.1698807029 (accessed 28 July 2021).

67 ‘How the world reacted to Taliban takeover of Kabul’, Aljazeera, (16 August 2021).

68 O. Hassan, ‘Reassessing the European strategy in Afghanistan’, Carnegie Europe, , available at: https://carnegieeurope.eu/2021/11/17/reassessing-european-strategy-in-afghanistan-pub-85776 (accessed 17 November 2021).

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71 ‘How the world reacted to Taliban takeover of Kabul’, Aljazeera, (16 August 2021).

72 A. Jalali, ‘Afghanistan: changing dynamics of peace and conflict’, The Great Power Competition 1, (2021), pp. 137–153.

73 R. Chaudhry, ‘How the Taliban is affecting India’s trade with Afghanistan’, Policy Forum, available at: https://www.policyforum.net/how-the-taliban-is-affecting-indias-trade-with-afghanistan/#:∼:text=India%20holds%20more%20than%20three (accessed 26 October 2021).

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76 F. Ghasemi and S. Erfani, ‘Structural challenges of the international system and the US security strategies in Afghanistan’, International Journal of Modern Agriculture 10(2), (2021), pp. 3644–3653. See also: O. Hassan, ‘Reassessing the European strategy in Afghanistan’, Carnegie Europe, (17 November 2021).

77 I. Khan, D. Khan, D. Shah and S. Ali, ‘Afghanistan: from US occupation towards transition’, Journal of Global Peace and Security Studies 2(1), (2021), pp. 1–14.

78 T. Varshalomidze, U. Siddiqui and T. Regencia, ‘Civilians, US troops among dozens killed in Kabul blasts’, Aljazeera, (26 August 2021).

79 A. Nemat, A. Asady, N. Raufi, N. Zaki, E. Ehsan, N. Noor and Q. Zeng, ‘A survey of the healthcare workers in Afghanistan during the COVID-19 pandemic’, The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 104(2), (2020), pp. 537–539.

80 A. Erfan, ‘The geopolitical influential components in the Afghan crisis’, Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences Studies 4(7), (2021), pp. 36–43.

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83 A. Erfan, ‘The geopolitical influential components in the Afghan crisis’, Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences Studies 4(7), (2021), pp. 36–43. See also: F. Ghasemi and S. Erfani, ‘Structural challenges of the international system and the US security strategies in Afghanistan’, International Journal of Modern Agriculture 10(2), (2021), pp. 3644–3653.

84 I. Akylbayev and N. Janibekov, ‘What does the US withdrawal from Afghanistan mean for Central Asia?’, The Diplomat, (25 May 2021).