On August 15, 2021, the Islamic extremist group Taliban made its return to Afghanistan just as the United States announced it would be pulling out its troops from the country. Following their departure, the Taliban group seized power in the country and formed the government for the first time since 2001 - marking the fall of Kabul.
It's been three years since the extremist group took over, plunging Afghanistan into a deep human rights crisis.
Recalling The Fall Of Kabul
The Taliban government took over Afghanistan in 2021 after the US-backed Afghan government collapsed as American and NATO forces withdrew from the country. Before seizing power, the Taliban insurgency had been fighting foreign presence in Kabul for 20 years.
Despite seizing the power of the government, the Taliban has not been recognised as the official leadership by at least 106 countries such as India, the US, Iraq and more.
With the extremist group taking over, Western allies and donors immediately halted all development aid to Afghanistan to prevent the money falling into the Taliban's hand.
However, these donations would cover 75 percent of the previous government's expenses. With donations cut, Afghanistan plunged into an economic crisis as well as humanitarian crisis. Wom
From Ban On Girls' Education To Cutting Diplomatic Ties - Changes Made Under The Taliban
One of the first rules issued by the Taliban government was an immediate ban on education for girls and women in Afghanistan. Starting with a ban on university-level education, the Taliban later expanded its ban to girls, preventing education beyond the sixth grade.
Along with the ban on education, the Taliban also ordered an immediate closure of all salons and parlours in the country and stopped women, especially unmarried women, from working or having any job.
Apart from this, women were also banned form leaving the houses without donning a hijab, burqa or without a male member of the family. Women have also been banned from entering public spaces, such parks, gyms, and sports clubs.
As per UN Women, Afghanistan now ranks among the world’s countries with the highest rates of gender-based violence, majorly fueled by Taliban's drastic measures to clamp down on the rights of women.
Women in Afghanistan have been stripped of social privilege, decision-making power, and control over assets and resources.
More recently, the Taliban government cut off ties with diplomatic missions in 14 countries and decreed all passports, visas and documents issued by "instruments of the previous government" as invalid and illegal.
Based on the official statement issued by the Taliban government, consular services and documents from Afghan embassies in London, Berlin, Belgium, Bonn, Switzerland, Austria, France, Italy, Greece, Poland, Australia, Sweden, Canada and Norway will no longer be honoured.
