Afghans Under the Taliban's Rule

Moving on to our fifth segment, we'll now discuss the events that affected the refugees after the Afghan Civil War.

How was the Afghan population affected by the Taliban's Takeover?

The Taliban threaten Afghans’ civil and political rights enshrined in the constitution created by the U.S.-backed government. Since regaining control, the Taliban have taken actions reminiscent of their brutal rule in the late 1990s.

The UN mission in Afghanistan has documented numerous human rights violations. The Taliban have intimidated journalists and restricted press freedoms, leading to the closures of more than two hundred news organizations. Their government has violently cracked down on demonstrations, and protesters and activists have been monitored and forcibly disappeared.

They also re-established their Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, which under their previous rule enforced prohibitions on behavior deemed un-Islamic. In November 2022, they ordered judges to enforce their interpretation of the Islamic Law. Authorities resumed public floggings and executions in weeks after.

Women have seen their rights obliterated. The Taliban had prohibited most girls from attending secondary school, banned all women from attending and teaching at universities, and prevented women from working.

In December 2022, after they regained power, the group prohibited women from working at local and international nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). The UN Development Program (UNDP) has estimated that restricting women’s employment could cost up to 5 percent of Afghanistan’s gross domestic product (GDP).

Amnesty International has reported a drastic increase in the number of women arrested for violating discriminatory policies, such as rules requiring women to only appear in public with a male chaperone and to completely cover their bodies. The rates of child marriage have also increased.