Afghanistan: CFWIJ Registers Strong Protest Against New Restrictions Policing Women’s Bodies

Threats
Written By Coalition for Women in Journalism
Location: Afghanistan, Kabul
Date: May 9, 2022

Photo Credit: Rukhshana Media

*This report is updated on May 20, 2022, after Taliban issued a decree making it mandatory for female media workers to cover their faces.

In the latest rollback on women’s rights, the Taliban have ordered women to cover their faces when in public. This is in line with policies enforced by the Taliban authorities restricting women’s mobility, their access to jobs outside of healthcare and education, and their right to secondary education. The new decree appoints male relatives as enforcers of restrictions on women’s clothing. The Coalition For Women registers strong protest against the increasing violations of women’s rights and the continuous policing of their bodies. We stress that appointing male guardians as enforcers of such policies further diminishes women’s role in society and increases their risk of harm. 

Despite promises to uphold women’s rights and media freedoms, since the fall of Kabul in August 2021, the Taliban authorities have only clamped down harder on both. The latest decree instructs women to be covered from head to toe when in public. It suggests that women should not leave their homes at all, if possible. 

Moreover, the decree appoints male relatives and “guardians” as enforcers of restrictions on women’s bodies. If a woman’s face is seen in public, according to the new restrictions, her male guardian will be fined, then jailed. If she, or her male relative, works for the government then such a violation could result in their dismissal. 

The decree itself and the decision to mark male relatives as enforcers are both extremely worrying. Penalizing male relatives for women’s attire and movement reflects a state policy of viewing women as second class citizens. It not only places women at harm's risk and diminishes their position in society, but evokes outdated and dangerous notions of “honor” wherein women’s bodies are custodians of honor and men their gatekeepers. 

The decree has been met with widespread backlash from within Afghanistan and the international community at large. 

Zahra Joya, an Afghan journalist now based in London and the founder of Rukhshana Media, told the CFWIJ that the Taliban's decision to make the face veil mandatory is a form of full-fledged torture for Afghan women. She added that the Taliban’s move is being strongly opposed locally as well. “This is a completely anti-human rights decree. I regret that in the 21st century, Afghan women do not even have the right to choose their clothes. I spoke to women inside Afghanistan and they are very disappointed with the future of life under the Taliban.”

Afghan activist and the founder and executive director at LEARN, Pashtana Dorani told CNN that with this decree there is nothing left to ban. “It is the last nail in the coffin for women in Afghanistan.”

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Protests were held in Kabul and Balkh against mandatory hijab requirements.  

Afghan women have historically suffered at the hands of both, extremist militants and Western intervenors who present themselves as “saviors”. The policing of women’s attire and their bodies whether in attempts to “liberate” or “oppress” them is equally condemnable. The CFWIJ strongly opposes the mandatory hijab restrictions imposed on Afghan women. We see it as a direct attempt to restrict their role in media and the public sphere. 

“We call on all women around the world specially those feminists and politicians who celebrated World Hijab Day to join our campaign and show your support & protest against Taliban’s order for women of Afghanistan to wear head-to-toe clothing,” wrote Iranian journalist Masih Alinejad on Twitter, calling for international support for Afghan women. 

On May 18, 2022, days after the Taliban issued a decree directing all women to cover their faces in public, a similar directive was issued to all media outlets in Afghanistan ordering all female TV presenters to cover their faces. This too was met with widespread condemnation. 

Journalist Wali Arian posted a collage to show the Taliban’s restrictions on female presenters since August 2021. 

Prominent Tolo News anchor Yalda Ali shared videos of putting on a face mask. She was quoted as stating, “A woman being erased, on orders from the virtue and vice ministry”.

Since the fall of Kabul, as the Taliban authorities go back on their promise of upholding women’s rights and media freedoms, several women journalists have been forced to quit the profession. Research indicates that out of 700 women journalists formerly based in Kabul, fewer than 100 were still working by December 2021. 

The Coalition For Women In Journalism has closely followed the impact of the US withdrawal and the Taliban takeover on the lives of women journalists, a group marginalized by both their gender and profession by all parties to the conflict. In 2021, we recorded the deaths of nine women journalists around the world and the highest number of female media workers, four, were killed in Afghanistan. Despite restricted access to public and professional lives, women journalists continue to play an immensely important role in the country which has seen extreme political instability in recent years. For this reason, they face threats to their lives from various political and militant actors on the daily causing several to leave the country. In times like these, it becomes the moral duty of international watchdogs and those in power to amplify their voices. 

The empowerment of Afghan women relies on alliance, not invasion. Since August 2021, the CFWIJevacuated over 320 journalists, activists, women rights advocates, and others at risk in Afghanistan. We call on the Taliban to live up to their promises of upholding press freedom and respecting women’s rights. These oppressive measures must end and Afghan women, who have long fought for their rights, must be allowed to resume their lives.

 

The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.

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