Gender Inequality in Afghanistan Leads to Lack in Development

Alina Hussaini, Guest Writer from Global Human Rights Advocacy 

Note: This article was written by a student of Dr. Meghan Cohen, in the class, Global Human Rights Advocacy. The Highlander is proud to serve as a platform for guest contributions and encourages collaboration between our community and our publication. 

The Taliban promote the belief that women are meant to stay at home and dedicate their time and effort to taking care of their children and completing domestic responsibilities. For many decades, Afghanistan has experienced a lack of development in its economic, social, political, and industrial sectors. Now that the Taliban have taken over the country since the summer of 2021, they seem to believe that their blueprint for the projects the country will undergo will result in impactful and massive developments. However, they seem to be missing half of the pieces needed to complete this blueprint: half of the population—women. A 2022 policy report from the George W. Bush Institute explained that the Taliban are excluding women and girls from accessing education and work because they believe that their freedom is a direct threat to their system of governance. The Taliban’s strict limitations on women must be discontinued because equitable access to school and work is necessary for Afghanistan to achieve appropriate social and economic growth, considering the current state it is in.

Women have been completely banned from accessing education past grade six, according to Research in Social Sciences and Technology (RESSAT), and they are denied the opportunity for employment. A 2023 article by RESSAT argues that the ban on women and girls has weakened and restricted the opportunities available to Afghan women and girls, which are considered to limit their access to education, an essential part of the empowerment and development of Afghan society. This is due to the Taliban’s rise in power and control over the country, as they abide by the view that girls and women are solely permitted to receive an education in accordance with their interpretation of Islamic law. Formal secondary or higher education for females is mainly banned.

Although it may be acceptable to approach lawmaking in a more religious manner, it is essential to understand that Islam encourages everyone to pursue education and knowledge. The Taliban claim that they comply with all of Islam’s teachings. However, according to the Journal of Midwifery & Reproductive Health (JMRH)’s narrative review of Islamic law on women's empowerment, the Qur'an encourages women to participate in economic life, education, and social and political engagement. This indicates that true Islamic principles support women's empowerment and education, and this isn't something that should be ignored by the Taliban. This also reveals the facade the Taliban have kept up throughout their rule, as they have presented an extreme religious and noble image while revealing their power-hungry nature and unwillingness to take an inclusive path.

Although it is reasonable that children rely on their mothers as their primary caregivers, it's also critical to take into account that limiting women to this position restricts their chances in society and their contributions. The Taliban shouldn't have the authority to decide how to set up the family dynamics of every household, or how to divide up the duties in a way that suits their home, but rather the family itself. Because of this, it’s very unclear whether the Taliban's rules are derived from the Islamic teachings and what they tend to believe, or from the traditional and cultural practices that have rooted from the concept of male power. A 2025 article in the Higher Education Journal claims that the Taliban's bans on women's education are established in their cultural traditions and ideological extremism, rather than just Islamic concepts. Without education, women would eventually be denied the opportunity to study to become teachers, nurses, physicians, and other professionals. According to a published report by Research in Social Sciences and Technology (RESSAT), this is significant because women who receive an education help society as a whole, as well as help themselves. Women with education can make political, social, and economic contributions. They can work in industries varying from government to medicine that improves labor and public services. Furthermore, education gives women the ability to speak out against systems of injustice and poverty because at this level, they can make knowledgeable decisions about their own lives, and the lives of their children. 

Expression of power-hunger in a country that is so underdeveloped can be harmful to its citizens. Leadership does not come with simply authority and control, but rather inclusivity, empathy, and care. Public solution proposals are essential for inclusive advancement. So, one potential solution to the education ban for women in Afghanistan is the implementation of internet education. A collaboration between the Australian team of volunteers and local Afghan female teachers in Jalalabad are currently working on designing a self-sustaining website for women and girls in Afghanistan seeking education. According to the team’s published paper from Discourse and Communication for Sustainable Education, they are working on making this website available to all girls and women in Afghanistan who choose to pursue postsecondary education, either in Afghanistan or on scholarships to international universities. The term “Talib” translates to “scholar” in Arabic, so I ask that the scholars of Afghanistan truly seek and commit to the teachings of Islam, and equality will present itself to you, paving the way for a prosperous and developed nation. What will become of a society that ignores half of its population?