THE ISSUE: Twenty years after being removed from power in the U.S.-led invasion, the Taliban took over the Afghanistan capital, Kabul, on Sunday (8/15), facing little resistance from Afghan government forces. The Taliban was expected to gain ground after the US’s withdrawal. But the speed of the Taliban’s advance – and the US’s and Afghanistan president’s chaotic exit – has left people shaken. As the Taliban completes its total takeover of the government, women face terrible danger and risk.
WHY IT MATTERS: Regardless of what Taliban leaders claim, the safety of women and girls in Afghanistan is at risk. The advances in women’s rights over the last 20 years are now void as Afghan women are already reporting that they are like prisoners in their homes. Hundreds of women journalists and judges have been assassinated in recent years by the Taliban. Unless they are evacuated, many more could become victims of the Taliban. Experienced observers doubt that the Taliban will protect women’s rights and liberties, and as soon as the world looks away, they will return to their old ways. We agree.