Shivangi Majumdar Blog
Shivangi Majumdar is a 2nd Year Sociology student and writes about the current humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan
The Unheard Weep
What is it like to be free? Does freedom come along easily? And most importantly, why are we even required to consider the dynamic of freedom? Well, as important as being free is, it is still perceived by many, as a dream of the distant.
And while we are here talking about freedom, there are people in Afghanistan who are being subjected to violent forms of extremism and suppression. The concept of freedom is something that citizens of Afghanistan are not able to relate with, and things are especially hostile when it comes to the rights of women.
The summer of August 2021 was nothing short of a nightmare for the Afghan populace. It saw the re-emergence of the Islamic militant group of Taliban. Since then, the events in the capital city of Kabul have taken a turn for the worse.
The situation in Afghanistan lays bare the Humanitarian crisis that the country is currently facing. Ever since the takeover, women have been forced to suffer the ruthlessness of their political motives. The insurgent group have precisely stated the rules for women and have put a restriction on almost all of their rights.
Women are being effectively erased from the public space and are always under house arrest. Not only this, the Taliban have also made sure that their Right to education remains unfulfilled. They have been barred from securing secondary education; what is more is that any signs of deviation from the stipulated rules will result in public humiliation, corporal punishment, or worse off, public execution.
The horrendous measures of the Taliban directed towards women knows no bound. They have been banned from entering public spaces, and even if they are allowed to, they are supposed to be accompanied by a male chaperone at all times. They are also strictly required to adhere to a certain dress code.
Many of them have faced sexual harassment either in the hands of their husband or the Taliban. Of those who have tried to oppose their authoritative regime, have been detained and tortured. Women have also been banned from securing employment or working for NGOs. Protests are common in the country but to no avail.
It is pretty safe to say that it is one of those countries where an abuse or an attack on a woman goes unnoticed. Going by this crisis, the first thought that crosses my mind is, are we even living in the 21st century? Is this idea of anarchism a justified way of governing a nation? It is astonishing how the international organisations, which are designed to regulate security, are not able to reach up a solution for this problem.
I started with highlighting the essentiality of freedom. Freedom is something that we, as the people of a nation, not only want but deserve. And yet it is ironic how we do not pay much heed to its importance, whereas there are people in Afghanistan who are yearning for it, every single minute of their lives.
And it goes without saying, women have to suffer the sharp pangs of every oppressive move. The dire situation in Afghanistan is further exacerbated by the denied access to healthcare for women. In most cases, women are not allowed to be treated by a male doctor. Since females do not hold jobs in Afghanistan, most women do not receive adequate medical care.
The country is in grave need of international action. The situation in Afghanistan has been widely condemned by international media outlets and NGO’s that support women’s rights, but even after the wide condemnation, life does not change for the women in Afghanistan. This is a country where children grow up holding weapons in their hand and are taught to learn the about violence and barbarism.
So, what could possibly be done in order to restore the fate of Afghanistan?
Unfortunately, there isn't a current solution which could be undertaken to mend the sufferings of those people. It is too big a disorder to be resolved this easily. The socio-economic situation of the country quite evidently calls for international help and aid.
What we as students can do is to spread the word and increase awareness. A little step can definitely go a long way. Bringing into focus the despair of the women of Afghanistan is the least we can do. Collective efforts are, what can be called, the need of the hour.
We could surely put in efforts to write to our local government representative, raising concerns regarding Afghan asylum seekers. If the government is willing to be more inclusive, more could definitely be done for Afghan refugees seeking a life in the UK. This in turn may bring in more flexible immigration rules for the citizens of Afghanistan.
Another way that could possibly bring in a change, would be to donate to the organisations who aim to help the women of Afghanistan. There are many international aid organisations that are working towards the betterment of the women in Afghanistan. Some of these are, the WAW (Women for Afghan Women); the IRC (international rescue committee); UNICEF (the United Nations Children’s Fund); Afghanaid, just to name a few.
What we as the students of the University of Glasgow could do, is to form associations, groups or clubs, that would be willing to spread the word and work towards the above steps for bringing in a change.
The women and men of Afghanistan are waiting for a silver lining, and we could definitely be that for them.
*If anyone would like to contact Shivangi to discuss the blog and ways to help, please get in touch via Linzi.Crawford@glasgow.ac.uk.
**Tile image: "Afghan women voice concerns to coalition forces [Image 4 of 4]" by DVIDSHUB is licensed under CC BY 2.0.