It will not be possible any longer to see women from the windows in Afghanistan

The Taliban regime introduced a new law which forces people to shade the windows of their house, especially those overlooking on the main street or the neighbour’s kitchens, to avoid women to be seen from the outside. To justify this law, Taliban said that «seeing women working in the kitchen, in a courtyard or getting the water from the well may lead to lewd acts ». This is the umpteenth measure of a politics aiming to cancel women from the public as well as private space, isolating them in a complete invisibility.

In the last two years, Taliban imposed several measures, such as the prohibition from attending schools and universities or working for NGO and international organizations.

The control, at this point extended to the house, deprives women of the last freedom left: a visual connection with the outside world.

The effect of the restrictions

The women exclusion from education has had dramatical consequences. According to UNESCO, in the country almost 2.5 thousand of girls are excluded from the right to being educated, including those who were not already attending school before the bans. This equals the 80% of the Afghan girls in school age. Not only does this prohibition deny young generations a fundamental human right, but it also compromises the economic and social future of the country: a big cut of the population is not able to contribute to society.

In fact, prohibiting women to work with NGO and humanitarian organizations paralysed many important programs. According to the UN and EU data, more than 28 million of Afghan people, including 14 million of women and children, depends on the humanitarian assistance to survive. Often, the humanitarian female assistants are the only connection to arrive to the most vulnerable communities. Their absence worsened the food insecurity and reduced the access to essential services, such as health and education.

The humanitarian and food crisis

Nowadays, Afghanistan is one of the countries all over the world which has been damaged the most from the food insecurity. The World Food Programme (WFP) estimates that around 15 million people suffer from acute malnutrition and almost 6 million are on the edge of a famine. Women and girls are the first to suffer: many families are forced to make drastic choices; therefore, they prioritize men to access to food and limited resources.

Similarly, the exclusion of women from the job market increased poverty. Before Taliban got the power, women were a fundamental member of the workforce, having a key role in the health and education systems. Their absence made the supply of basic services more difficult, especially in the rural areas, where conditions are already uncertain.

The psychological and social isolation

The forced segregation and the increasing control have grave consequences on women’s mental health. The imposed invisibility is one more step in the complete alienation of women from society. Many studies led from several international organizations noticed a meaningful increase of depression, anxiety, and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) cases among Afghan women. According to a Human Rights Watch report, the interviewed women described their condition as “an endless prison”, highlighting the devastating effect of an existence limited to one’s house and with no possibility of improving.

The international oblivion

Afghanistan fell into forgetfulness of the international community. After the withdrawal of the American and NATO armies in August 2021, other global critical situations, such as the war in Ukraine and the tensions in the Middle East, distracted from the Afghan problems. According to analysts, this inattention left the opportunity to Taliban to strengthen the repression without meaningful consequences for them.

The European Parliament adopted several resolutions reporting the deterioration of the human rights in Afghanistan and asked to strengthen the sanctions against the Taliban leaders and for more support to the humanitarian organizations working in the country. However, the diplomatic efforts and the economic pressures have not been enough to change the situation. 

Meanwhile, the reduction of the international funds worsened the humanitarian crisis. Only in 2023, the United Nations received less than 50% of the necessary funds for the Afghanistan Humanitarian Response Plan, and millions of people were left unassisted. Not only the new measures adopted by Taliban are a violation of women’s fundamental rights, but also a threat for the surviving of millions of people in Afghanistan.

Afghan women are being persecuted and victims of constant violence. Currently, they do not have hope for freedom and equality in future. Therefore, the international community cannot be indifferent, it’s essential to give immediate help and to keep supporting Afghan women daily fights as well their right to a free and dignified life.  

Mondo Internazionale APS – Reserved Reproduction ® 2025