The Taliban’s tightening grip on women in Afghanistan

In August 2021, the Taliban reclaimed power over Afghanistan and has since ruled with a harshening iron fist. Its latest penal code demonstrates the ruling extremist group’s aim to tighten its grip on the lives of the nation’s people, particularly women, with legislation detailing punishments for a variety of so-called crimes.  

The code was established in January but leaked only recently to an Afghan human rights group called Rawadari. Its English translation reveals that physical abuse of wives by their husbands is permitted as long as they do not break any bones or leave visible lasting marks. This legitimisation of domestic violence places greater dangers on the lives of women and children, especially those who follow Jesus. Female converts are particularly vulnerable to violence from their male relatives, who view their leaving Islam for Christianity as a shameful act of disobedience. 

In a country where women are already highly constrained in their public appearance and social rights, the law further threatens women’s wellbeing, even their very lives. Increasingly, this kind of abuse is kept hidden within the walls of homes where the suffering of many female converts is secreted. 

“The provisions contained in this penal code raise serious concerns for the protection of women and girls in Afghanistan,” an Open Doors spokesperson explains. “When the law permits violence in the home, it leaves already vulnerable communities with even less protection.” 
 

The fight for faithfulness 

Afghanistan is number 11 on the World Watch List and the church is increasingly fragmented because of the Taliban’s ruthless approach to Christianity. Believers are forced to keep their faith a total secret, and any deviation from strict Islamic observance puts Afghans at risk. Even reduced attendance to mosques could threaten exposure. 

Because of the intensity of surveillance and punishment if discovered, many Christians flee the country in search of refuge. But even escape does not guarantee an Afghan believer’s safety – deportation back to Afghanistan is a constant fear, and the consequences for women are especially intense. 

“For Christian Afghan women seeking refuge abroad, a forced return could expose them to immediate danger,” says the Open Doors spokesperson, “including targeted persecution, arbitrary detention, enforced disappearance, torture and even extrajudicial killings”. 

Under Taliban rule, Afghanistan already breaks many of the human rights treaties it has promised to uphold in the past. The implications of the new penal code pose many increased risks for women – above all, those who follow Christ. 
 

See change for Afghan women 

Yet, there are many stories of women coming to faith in spite of the cost. Ariana* is one woman who had to flee Afghanistan when her family’s faith was discovered, but she now carries out a gospel-centred ministry to refugee women who share her experience in another country. 

• Read Ariana’s story. 

Please continue to pray for our sisters fighting to remain faithful in Afghanistan amidst the increasing restrictions and dangers they face. 

*Name changed for security reasons