Taliban limits entry of women in 'ladies park' escalating suppression in Afghanistan

Taliban on Thursday, August 11, issued a new set of restrictions, limiting the entry of women in 'ladies park' in Herat province of Afghanistan, largely adding to their history of gender-based discrimination and segregation of women. As per the new decree, apart from refraining from visits on the same days as men, women can now access the park only on time specified by the Taliban. The Taliban Ministry for Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice directed that women will only stroll in parks on days and times specified under the law.

The move to promote discrimination came a month after the interim government led by the outfit endorsed a decree banning men and women from visiting an amusement park in Kabul on the same day. "Taliban have nothing else to do but suppress women since coming into power, and they have imprisoned us all women at home," Asila Misbah, a women's rights activist based in Herat said, a quoted by ANI. Furthering their stifling imposition of the Islamic law, the Taliban also shut down public dining in the Afghan city of Herat.

"I used to eat food in restaurants with my family most of the time, but now due to Taliban restrictions on women, I can't spend an hour with my family outside. Everything we do is in an uncertain manner and we fear retribution even though we tread carefully," Misbah added.

Meanwhile, in the south Afghan province of Zabul, the Taliban prohibited women from visiting wedding ceremonies, threatening of punishing men for breaching the directive. This comes as women's rights in Afghanistan remained the least of concern for the Taliban ever since they took over Kabul after US withdrawal. Despite promising a moderate term, the radical group has only chained women to their homes, shuttering all opportunities in the education and job sectors as well.

Notably, it has been nearly a year since the Taliban regime banned secondary education for girls and prevented women from pursuing employment. Further, the Islamic clerics have also limited women's access to seek justice in case of gender-based violence.

Women voice concern over new decree

The harsher interpretations of the Islamic law triggered protests in the capital city of Kabul in March. Women took to the streets deploring the decree prohibiting access to social places like parks and malls. The ruling also drew global condemnation amid already existing flak over curbing the fundamental right to education of girls over sixth grade. Apart from this, the regime issued a plethora of restrictions on media, and arbitrarily detained critics and perceived opponents adding to the list of abuses since the overhaul in August last year.

(Image: AP)