Kabul – Afghanistan’s social and political landscape continues to deteriorate under the Taliban, according to the latest united nations security council (UNSC) monitoring team report. while the regime has consolidated territorial control and imposed a measure of stability, analysts warn this control comes at a severe human cost, disproportionately affecting women, girls, minorities, journalists, and former officials of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.
At the core of this repression is supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada, whose authority criminalizes dissent and enforces ideological conformity. the UNSC report describes the condition of afghan women and girls as “dire,” noting systematic exclusion from education, employment, and healthcare. the Afghanistan gender index 2024 by un-women highlights that eight out of ten women are barred from meaningful participation in society, placing Afghanistan among the world’s worst countries for gender equality.
Impact on women and the economy
Under edicts from Kandahar, women are prohibited from secondary and higher education, restricted from most employment, and face growing mobility limitations. families increasingly resort to early and forced marriages, exacerbating social pressures. economically, these policies cost the country over $1 billion annually, weakening an already fragile economy. experts note these measures are directly mandated by Akhundzada, who frames them as religious obligations, sidelining both domestic criticism and international pressure.
Internal disagreements exist, particularly on women’s education, but dissent is swiftly suppressed. former deputy foreign minister Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanekzai was exiled for challenging the ban, while religious scholar Abdul Sami Ghaznawi and dr. Farouq Azam were detained for advocating girls’ education and female medical assistance, respectively.
Ethnic minorities, former officials, and media crackdown
The report also details growing repression of religious and ethnic minorities. Taliban directives enforce the Hanafi Deobandi school, marginalizing Shia, Salafi, and Tablighi perspectives. non-pashtun communities, including tajiks and uzbeks, face administrative and security marginalization. despite declaring a general amnesty, the regime continues arbitrary arrests and extrajudicial killings of former officials. media freedoms have sharply deteriorated, with outlets like shamshad tv suspended and female journalists systematically targeted.
analysts say hibatullah’s absolute authority backed by loyal clerics, the ministry for the propagation of virtue and prevention of vice, and the supreme court ensures compliance through fear. dissent is treated as a threat to regime unity, framed as a religious obligation.
Afghanistan under the taliban now reflects a rigidly enforced ideological order, shrinking political space, and systemic human rights violations, raising concerns for both internal stability and regional security.
Read more: Taliban Demand Official UN Recognition While Maintaining Grave Human Rights Violations
