Taliban wins war in Afghanistan: what next?

Taliban wins war in Afghanistan: what next?

The Afghan military, who have found it too difficult to defend rural districts, in response to the Taliban’s belligerence, have decided to simply abandon vast arrays of land – all in hopes of culminating their forces to defend (more) economically valuable cities. This has led to some easy victories for the Taliban, who have now taken control of over two-thirds of the country and forced thousands of families to flee for their safety.

When Afghan women take their education in their own hands

When Afghan women take their education in their own hands

Afghanistan is one of the world’s most challenging places for female education and because of that, all-female groups such as Zohra and the Afghan Girls Robotic Team are leading the way for women’s rights there.

In the summer of 2017, the Afghan Girls Robotic Team travelled to Washington D.C. to take part in a robotics competition at international level.

Their invention, a robot that can tell if water is clean or contaminated, earned them a silver medal for “courageous achievement” – but the real courage came in getting to the competition.

After the girls had set off on their 500 mile journey from their home in Herat to the U.S. embassy in Kabul, they were denied U.S. visas when they got there – no reason was given.

After international outcry, the girls were granted special status by the U.S. government and allowed in.

They later went on to win out the biggest robotics festival in Europe and have gained huge support internationally by inspiring many girls to pursue their dreams in the face of hardship.

Zohra, named after a Persian goddess of music, are a group of 30 women who together form an orchestra that have played at prestigious events like the 2017 World Economic Forum Annual Meeting.

However, back in Afghanistan, their talent isn’t recognised, and could even be life-threatening.

Afghanistan was once an epicentre of creativity and had a musical history of over 1000 years – this changed dramatically after the Soviet invasion in 1979 and the fall of the Taliban in 2001.

Strict Taliban policies, which included a ban on music, saw the deaths of several musicians while others migrated to escape the cruel treatment.

Although the ban was lifted after the Taliban rule ended, large parts of Afghan society still frown on music.  The Zohra girls, like the Afghan Girls Robotic Team, have then become models and leaders for women’s rights and human rights worldwide.

 

 

 

Sign up to our newsletter to get our top stories straight to your inbox.

Image courtesy of All Jazeera  via Twitter.

STAND Women: 2019 in Review

STAND Women: 2019 in Review

Women make up roughly 50% of our global population but still face significant human rights challenges, including some which are less visible but equally damaging such as gender bias in institutions like the media. Cassie, our Women’s Section Editor, reminds us of the women’s rights issues that were important to us in 2019.

Women and the Military: The unequal burden of war

Women and the Military: The unequal burden of war

The image of Western military powers as an emancipatory force for women has been promoted for over a century, yet ultimately could not be further from the truth. Historically, Britain and other European powers have attacked the rights and undermined the autonomy of women in colonised countries.