The Decline of Women's Rights : A Case Study About Women's Rights in Afghanistan

Abstract: Women all around the world struggle with issues related to gender equality and the patriarchy in many different ways. The women of Afghanistan are one of the groups of women most affected by misogynistic regimes and informal institutions. Afghan women have been affected by multiple regime changes since 1996 which have all had a great impact on their role in Afghan society and culture. The Taliban gained control over the country in 1996 and chose to enforce multiple laws against women’s freedom. After 9/11 occurred, the USA decided to invade Afghanistan as an act of self defense and to protect women’s rights. The US left Afghanistan in 2021 and the Taliban have since managed to regain the authority of the country. This qualitative desk study investigates how women in Afghanistan have been affected by the changes in governance after 1996, taking a feminist institutionalist perspective. The findings argue that while changes in formal institutions were made, many of the informal institutions remained from the first Taliban rule, creating difficulties with development within gender equality. The changes within formal institutions were not enough to create development within gender equality in Afghanistan; the strong informal institutions stagnated the progress on the formal level.