Following the deportation of over 1.4 million Afghans from Iran, women and girls face the grim reality of returning to a life under Taliban rule, where their rights are severely restricted.
Deported Afghan Women Face Harsh Realities of Life Under Taliban Rule
Deported Afghan Women Face Harsh Realities of Life Under Taliban Rule
Afghan women and girls returning from Iran fear the oppressive conditions awaiting them, following a mass deportation by Iranian authorities.
As Afghan women and girls are forced back to their homeland after being expelled from Iran, they confront a stark reality that shatters their hopes for freedom and opportunity. Last week, three sisters—Marwa, 18; Khurshid, 17; and their sibling—returned to Afghanistan amid Iranian deportations affecting over 1.4 million Afghans this year. Their dreams of education and work in Iran have evaporated, replaced by a somber resignation to the oppressive conditions that now await them.
Khurshid, the youngest, expressed her dismay, stating, “Afghanistan is like a cage for women, and we’re coming back to that cage.” As they crossed the border into Afghanistan, the sisters wrestled with the reality that their previous freedoms, including evening outings and educational pursuits, would be lost once more. They discussed the need to acquire headscarves and outfits to conform to the rigid dress code imposed by the Taliban, reflecting a move away from the autonomy they had enjoyed.
The situation is exacerbated by recent policies in neighboring Pakistan, which have also threatened the safety of Afghan women and girls who sought refuge from the oppressive rule of the Taliban after their takeover in 2021. The current regime in Afghanistan imposes some of the world's heaviest restrictions on women and girls: they are prohibited from attending school after the sixth grade, engaging in most jobs, accessing public spaces like parks, and traveling without a male guardian.
While Khurshid brazenly defied Taliban orders to wear a hijab at the border crossing, her sisters acknowledged the necessity to adapt their appearance upon returning home. The sisters' painful transition underscores the broader plight of Afghan women, who have once again found themselves confined by a system that denies them their basic rights and freedoms. The contrast between their previous lives in Iran and the grim prospects in Afghanistan paints a stark picture of the ongoing struggles faced by women and girls in the region.
