By Usman Khan
Recently the Taliban chief issued a decree that women should not be considered ‘property and must be consent to marriage. Though the Taliban decree did not refer a minimum age for marriage. The Taliban has issued a decree stopping forced marriage in Afghanistan, by saying that women should not be considered “material thing” and her permission concerning marriage is necessary and mandatory and it reflect good omen of the fact Taliban that returned to power in mid-August willing to restore the women’s rights concerning work and education. The decree was announced on Friday by the reclusive Taliban chief, Hibatullah Akhunzada – who is supposed to be in the southern city of Kandahar. Both women and men are equal,” said the decree, added that “no one can force women to marry by pressure or compulsion”.
Although the decree did not indicate the least age for marriage, which previously was set at 16 years old. The Taliban also said a widow will now be allowable to re-marry 17 weeks after her husband’s death, selecting her new spouse liberally in contrast to the ancient tribal customs have held it compulsory for a widow to marry one of her husband’s brothers or relatives in the result of his death.
The Taliban leadership said that it has instructed the Afghan courts to behave women justly, particularly widows seeking inheritance as following of kin. The group, which came to power in August, also said it had asked government ministers to increase the consciousness about women’s rights across the populace. The development was welcomed as a momentous step onward from all spheres of life including the international community still remained the group would extend women’s rights about allowing work and education for females are yet to see.
At the moment the international community has withheld billions of dollars regarding supporting funds for Afghanistan and made women’s and human rights a key element of any future engagement with Afghanistan. It would be marvelous thing if this degree regarding consent of marriages and inheritance get implemented. Such steps would definitely ensure and protect the rights of the girls and will be not be suppressed by family members any more in the future.
It’s a very smart move on the part of the Taliban at this point because due to the rumors spreading across the globe those little girls are being sold as property to others in order to feed the rest of the family. During its previous rule from 1996 to 2001, the Taliban barred women from leaving the house without a male relative covering full face along with head and girls from receiving education. Even the then Taliban government forced men to grow beards and barred the playing of music but this time a change is in making.
Currently, nearly $10bn in Afghan central bank assets froze by the US as well as the international monetary institutions have postponed development funding for the country, plummeting the deeply aid-dependent economy into the abysmal of poverty, famine, and hunger leading towards a humanitarian catastrophe.
Although the Taliban relaxing more rules to elucidate women’s rights by issuing such degree it is still not known that it would conciliate the world powers — which have yet to accept the new Afghan government but indeed it is a welcome move on the part of the Taliban to take a notable step concerning the rights of Afghan women. The Taliban’s supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada categorically said that women and girls will not be pressed in married matters anymore and that a widow has the right to have a share in her husband’s inheritance. Since the decree has opposed coercion on women in matters of marriage, it makes it clear that a widow can marry a man of her choice.
Through the decree, the Taliban have ordered the entire government machinery to see to it that the rights of girls and women are safeguarded. All relevant organizations have been instructed to take “serious actions to enforce women’s rights”. It has ordered the ministries of information and culture to publish material on the rights of women and girls in order to raise general awareness about the important issue. This decree serves to clear the haze surrounding women’s rights under the new indulgence and shows that the Taliban leadership is aware of the rights of women — as in contradiction of a general impression in the world about them being too traditional in their dealing of women.
By issuing the decree on women’s rights, the Taliban have upheld their declaration made on the occasion of assuming power in August this year that they would safeguard that mistakes of the previous Taliban government would not be repeated. The decree will go a long way in addressing gender-based issues in Afghanistan where the male and female population is nearly equal. It has also magnified the expectation that the Taliban would soon let thousands of girls from grades seven to 12 to attend school moreover, a majority of women who have been banned from occupations will be permissible to restart their jobs.