Objectification is a notion central to feminist theory. It can be roughly defined as seeing and/or treating a person, usually a woman, as an object. History has been replete with such cases, where the patriarchy explicitly dictated every custom and norm of human society. These issues persist in some corners of the world, but with awareness campaigns, globalization and specialized gender-oriented discourse, they have been addressed in detail. The discourse addresses the question of gender, arguing that it is not inherent but an act that individuals adopt through socialization. Further, the discourse made women intellectually equal to men, defined gender roles, and granted them the same fundamental rights as men. However, in 2026 despite all these, it sounds very odd in that in Afghanistan, through systematic oppression and a model designed to dominate society through fear and ideological control, 21.9 million Afghans, including 10.7 million women and girls, require humanitarian assistance.
“Afghanistan’s de- facto authorities have consolidated territorial and administrative control and currently face no meaningful armed or political change, but warned that the apparent stability mask deeper risk,” said MS Gagnon to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). Further, Afghanistan Justice Archive founder Metra Mehran pointed to “Afghanistan under Taliban rule as system of gender apartheid”. She further argued that Taliban repression is not accidental but represents a comprehensive governing model.
Nearly five years after the Taliban acceded to power in August 2021, the Taliban is totalizing both ambition and execution as more than 230 decrees, directives and regulations targeting women and girls have been issued. These measures have systematically abandoned girls’ access to education, employment, freedom of movement and freedom of speech. The data reveal that women’s labor force participation is just 24.2 per cent, compared with 88.9 per cent for men. The minimum figure is just 6.8 per cent of women who own bank accounts. Currently, there are no female journalists or media workers in Afghanistan’s 19 provinces. The barbarism is intensified when the de facto regime banned girls’ education beyond sixth grade and imposed restrictions on women studying medical subjects in December 2024.
The objectification of women is not limited to these sectors, but they are also extended to the private lives of women. First, they forbade women from public life through the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of vice (PVPV) framework. Further, taboos and stigma have been associated with women’s voices, faces and criminalized public participation, which form the most comprehensive systems of gender-based discrimination in modern history.
Discrimination in legislation
In January 2026, the Taliban formalized violence against women through new legislation. Under this code of conduct, it has been legalized domestic violence against their wives, and if a husband severely punish their wives, in such a case, the husband faces a maximum of 15 days imprisonment. While killing a bird can carry a five-month punishment in jail. The fact indicates a stark difference that divides society into categories of free and enslaved and embeds male supremacy in legal provisions.
The legal sphere extends beyond gender repression, as upon criticism of Taliban leadership, and on political dissent, the person may face the death penalty, lashes and imprisonment. Ironically, the Taliban regime squares these efforts with Islamic jurisprudence; however, Islam emphasizes accountability and inclusivity. In May 2026, the Taliban ratified the Code on Judicial Separation of Spouses, which effectively facilitates child marriage and further restricts women’s ability to seek separation or divorce.
Humanitarian Consequences and Failure of Engagement
According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, 45 per cent of the Afghan population requires dire humanitarian assistance. More than 2.2 million girls remain deprived of secondary and higher education. Alarmingly, 3.7 million children are suffering from malnutrition, and more than 400 health-related facilities closed in 2025 following the abandonment of the international funding stream. More than 4.7 million people face food insecurity in Afghanistan during the dry season, from November to March.
International engagement with the Taliban failed to moderate regime behavior. Instead, diplomatic accommodation and political engagement emboldened Taliban authorities to institutionalize repression further and expand discriminatory policies. UNSC, United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and the broader international community should refrain from political and diplomatic engagement that legitimizes Taliban repression, including hosting Taliban representatives or entering into agreements that risk conferring legitimacy upon a regime built on systematic discrimination and coercion. According to the UNSC briefing, only 15 per cent of the $1.71 billion required for Afghanistan has been utilized.
The regime now poses a grave challenge to international law and multilateralism. The regime operates within a closed circle under the Hanafi school of thought and otherwise, especially the Shia and Ismaili communities. Afghanistan is now a defining test of multilateralism. The international community’s response to Taliban gender apartheid will determine whether principles of human rights, equality and international law remain enforceable standards or merely rhetoric.
