Anti female Taliban | Taliban makes women, girls sex slaves, world should keep an eye

Toronto : Since the withdrawal of US and NATO forces from Afghanistan in July, the Taliban have increasingly taken control of large parts of the country. The president has fled and the government has fallen. Buoyed by their success, lack of resistance by Afghan forces and minimal international pressure, the Taliban have intensified their violence. For Afghan women, their growing power is frightening. In early July, Taliban leaders who control the provinces of Badakhshan and Takhar ordered local religious leaders to provide a list of girls over the age of 15 and widows under the age of 45 to ‘marry’ with Taliban fighters. Order issued. It is not yet known whether his orders have been implemented or not. If these forced marriages take place, women and girls will be taken to Pakistan’s Waziristan and re-trained and converted to ‘authentic Islam’.

deep fear among women and their families

The order has created deep fear among the women and their families living in these areas and forced them to join the ranks of internally displaced persons and migrate. A humanitarian disaster is spreading its feet in Afghanistan and 900,000 people have been displaced in the last three months alone.

Prohibition on leaving the house without a man

This Taliban directive is a stern warning of what is to come and is a reminder of the brutal regime of the Taliban of 1996-2001 when women were repeatedly denied human rights violations, employment and education, the burqa They were forced to wear robes and were prohibited from leaving their homes without a male “guardian” or mahram.

Will deprive girls of education after the age of 12

Despite claims that they have changed their stance on women’s rights, the Taliban’s recent actions and fresh intentions to push thousands of women into sexual slavery appear to go against its claims. In addition, the Taliban have indicated their intention to reinstate a law that deprives girls of education after the age of 12, bans women from employment, and requires women to leave home with a guardian.

Under the guise of marriage, women are forced into sexual slavery

The benefits enjoyed by Afghan women over the past 20 years are at risk, especially in education, employment and political participation. Offering wives is a tactic aimed at enticing terrorists to join the Taliban. This is sexual slavery, not marriage, and luring women into sexual slavery under the guise of marriage is both a war crime and a crime against humanity.

Article 27 of the Geneva Convention states that women should be protected against any attack on their honor, especially against rape, forced prostitution, or any other form of indecent behavior. In 2008, the United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution 1820 declaring that rape and other forms of sexual violence could be war crimes, crimes against humanity. It recognizes sexual violence as a tactic of war to humiliate, dominate and instill fear among civilian members of the community.

how to fight back

The United Nations must now take decisive action to stop further atrocities against women in Afghanistan. I propose four policy actions for the international community to bring to lasting peace. They are guided by Resolution 1820 which outlines the importance of including women as equal participants in the peace process and condemns all forms of sexual violence against civilians in armed conflict.

Calling for an immediate ceasefire to allow the peace process to proceed in harmony

Ensuring that women’s rights enshrined in Afghanistan’s constitution, national law and international law are respected. Emphasize the continuation of peace talks with the meaningful participation of Afghan women. Currently, there are only four female peace negotiators on the Afghan government team and none from the Taliban side.

should be conditional on their commitment to uphold the rights of women

The lifting of sanctions against the Taliban should be conditional on their commitment to uphold the rights of women. The EU and the US, which are currently Afghanistan’s largest donors, should provide assistance conditional on women’s rights and their access to education and employment.

Women in Afghanistan and throughout the region will welcome the efforts of the United Nations and the international community to ensure that victims of sexual violence have equal protection under the law and equal access to justice. Acts of sexual violence should have no place in Afghanistan as part of a broader vision of seeking lasting peace, justice and national reconciliation.