Taliban Discrimination against Women: Comprehensive Analysis of Main Factors

Gender discrimination and misogyny targeting women in Afghanistan have deep historical roots, yet the Taliban’s imposition of systematic, organized, and violent oppression has exacerbated this issue significantly. This paper delves into the fundamental factors driving the Taliban’s discriminatory practices against Afghan women. Employing a mixed-method approach combining both doctrinal and non-doctrinal legal research, data for this study were gathered from written sources and 12 in-depth interviews conducted with religious scholars, Sharia law faculty members, law school professors, and women’s rights activists. Drawing from scholarly literature and interview insights, numerous factors underpin the Taliban’s oppression of women and promotion of misogyny. This paper specifically examines four primary causal factors: the influence of madrasas on societal norms and educational resources, the imposition of regressive edicts by Taliban leadership, cultural determinants shaping gender dynamics, and the disparities between urban and rural contexts.