Beautiful Virgin Islands

Monday, Aug 04, 2025

"They Don't Consider Us Humans": Afghan Women On Taliban Rule

"They Don't Consider Us Humans": Afghan Women On Taliban Rule

Taliban went to the homes of women activists and politicians to intimidate them and they had to either flee the country or stay quiet, said Afghan parliamentarian Shinkai Karokhail.
"They don't consider women as humans," says Humeira Rizai, a researcher and activist from Afghanistan who fled her country along with tens of thousands of compatriots to escape the atrocities of the Taliban.

It was a return of the nightmare for women like Rizai and Afghan parliamentarian Shinkai Karokhail when the Islamic militia swept across Afghanistan last month, seizing control again of almost all key towns and cities, including capital Kabul, after two decades following the withdrawal of the US forces.

"Women were executed and beaten (when Taliban took over earlier). They took away all their rights. Women worked very hard to get back on their feet since 2000 which has again been lost," Rizai said.

In an interaction with women journalists organised by the Indian Women's Press Corps, Karokhail recalled the turmoil Afghan women have been going through since the Taliban took over the country.

"It is a terrible situation there," she said.

Karokhail said the Taliban went to the homes of women activists and politicians, who could not leave Afghanistan as many countries had stopped giving visas, to intimidate them and they had to either flee the country or stay quiet.

"So lots of women activists and politicians were stuck in Afghanistan and kept changing their places because the Taliban went to their homes searching. They took the weapons of their security personnel. Their cars were also taken by the Taliban.

"So this is the way they wanted to scare women who had to run away or keep silent and not raise their voice," Karokhail, who is also a women's rights activist, said.

Afghan journalist Fatima Faramarz said women are considered "animals and the Taliban decides to treat them as they please".

Recalling a recent incident, she claimed her colleagues were brutally beaten when they went to cover a protest.

"They were covering a protest. They were taken by the Taliban to a police station and were beaten with batons and electrical cables. They beat them with whatever they had in their hands," said Faramarz who broke down while narrating the incident.

She said the future of women in Afghanistan is "unclear" and bleak under the Taliban rule.

Taliban earlier took over Afghanistan in the 1990s.

According to Human Rights Watch, the Taliban's rights record in the 1990s was characterised by systematic violations against women and girls; cruel corporal punishments, including executions; and extreme suppression of freedom of religion, expression, and education.

Noting that women of today in Afghanistan are not the same as 20 years back, Karokhail said they are aware, informed and know their rights.

"The women have the right to be included. It is not the man's country and we have equal rights over the country," she said.

Karokhail said women are suffering in Afghanistan as all economic activities have closed.

"Taliban and supporters of Taliban like Pakistan, China and Russia must be made accountable because they are behind the situation there. The US must have accepted the mistakes they made in Afghanistan," she said.

"I left my country with a heavy and broken heart, it wasn't easy and I struggled a lot," said Karokhail who left Afghanistan on August 20, five days after Kabul fell.

Rizai said the Taliban rule in the 1990s sent the country 100 years back.

"They didn't consider women as humans. I was born in a rural area during the Taliban rule and could not go to school there at that time. We fear that there will be an extreme rise in trafficking and selling of women in Afghanistan now that the Taliban is back," she said.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Pilots Call for Mental Health Support Without Stigma
All Five Trapped Miners Found Dead After El Teniente Mine Collapse
Ong Beng Seng Pleads Guilty in Corruption Case Linked to Former Singapore Transport Minister
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
Italy Fines Shein One Million Euros for Misleading Sustainability Claims
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
Declassified Annex Links Soros‑Affiliated Officials and Clinton Campaign to ‘Russiagate’ Narrative
UK's Online Safety Law: A Front for Censorship
Nationwide Protests Erupt in Brazil Demanding Presidential Resignation
Parents Abandon Child at Barcelona Airport Over Passport Issue
Mystery Surrounds Death of Brazilian Woman with iPhones Glued to Her Body
Bus Driver Discovers Toddler Hidden in Suitcase in New Zealand
Switzerland Celebrates 734 Years of Independence Amid Global Changes
U.S. Opens Official Investigation into Former Trump Prosecutor Jack Smith
Leaked audio of Canada's new PM Mark Carney admitting the truth about the Net Zero agenda: "We're gonna make a lot of money off of this."
China Enforces Comprehensive Ban on Cryptocurrency Activities
Absolutely 100% Realistic EVO Series Doll by EXDOLL (Chinese Company) used mainly for carnal purposes
World Economic Forum founder Klaus Schwab: "In this new world, we must accept... total transparency. You have to get used to it. You have to behave accordingly. But if you have nothing to hide, you shouldn't be afraid."
Meet Mufti Hamid Patel, head of Office for Standards in Education in Pakistan
George Soros tells the World Economic Forum: "President Trump is a con man and the ultimate narcissist, who wants the world to revolve around him."
Hamas are STARVING the hostages.
Decline in Tourism in Majorca Amidst Ongoing Anti-Tourism Protests
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
Poland Begins Excavation at Dziemiany After New Clue to World War II‑Era Nazi Treasure
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Threatens Canada with Tariffs Over Palestinian State Recognition
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Trump Sues Murdoch in “Heavyweight Bout”: Lawsuit Over Alleged Epstein Letter Sets Stage for Courtroom Showdown
Germany Enters Fiscal Crisis as Cabinet Approves €174 Billion in New Debt
Trump Administration Finalizes Broad Tariff Increases on Global Trade Partners
J.K. Rowling Limits Public Engagements Citing Safety Fears
JD.com Launches €2.2 Billion Bid for German Electronics Retailer Ceconomy
Azerbaijan Proceeds with Plan to Legalise Casinos on Artificial Islands
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Procter & Gamble to Raise U.S. Prices to Offset One‑Billion‑Dollar Tariff Cost
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
Botswana Seeks Controlling Stake in De Beers as Anglo American Prepares Exit
Trump Administration Proposes Repeal of Obama‑Era Endangerment Finding, Dismantling Regulatory Basis for CO₂ Emissions Limits
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
A family has been arrested in the UK for displaying the British flag
Mel Gibson refuses to work with Robert De Niro, saying, "Keep that woke clown away from me."
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
The British propaganda channel BBC News lies again.
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
×