Three years ago, the Taliban took control of Afghanistan. Since then, women’s rights have gradually been dismantled. Human rights organizations have condemned a new “cruel” decision: the closure of Band-e-Amir park, famous for its stunning lakes in the tourist province of Bamyan, to Afghan women.
“Step by step, the walls are closing in on women”
“Not content with depriving girls and women of education, employment, and freedom of movement, the Taliban now want to take away parks and sports from them, and now even nature itself,” lamented Heather Barr, deputy director of women’s rights at Human Rights Watch.
“Step by step, the walls are closing in on women, with every home becoming a prison,” she denounced in a statement. “It’s also about your ability to experience joy,” she emphasized, calling this decision “cruel.”
The Minister for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, Mohammad Khalid Hanafi, justified the ban by claiming that the hijab had not been properly observed over the past two years. “We must take serious measures from today. We must prevent the non-compliance with the hijab,” he said. “Women and our sisters will no longer be able to visit Band-e-Amir until we have established guidelines,” he added.
“This explanation that a woman is not wearing a proper hijab makes no sense,” Human Rights Watch further lamented.
Afghan women’s rights diminished day by day
Since their return to power in August 2021, the Taliban government, with its austere interpretation of Islam, has continuously reduced Afghan women’s rights. In just two years, secondary schools and universities have closed their doors to women. Parks, gyms, and bathhouses are also off-limits to them. Prevented from working for NGOs and excluded from most civil servant positions, Afghan women must fully cover themselves when they leave their homes.
“Can anyone explain why this restriction on women visiting Band-e-Amir is necessary to comply with Sharia and Afghan culture?” questioned Richard Bennett, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, on X.
Since the announcement, women have posted souvenir photos of their visits to this national park, located in the center of the country, on social media. “Afghan women are not giving up; we will return to this place one day and conquer your misogynistic minds,” assured one of them on X.
The park is composed of a network of lakes with turquoise and sapphire waters. Many families typically rent pedal boats, stroll along the shores, or enjoy the surrounding waterfalls and souvenir vendors.
A few kilometers away, the Bamyan Valley, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is famous for its niches carved into the cliff, now empty of the giant Buddhas after their destruction by the Taliban in 2001.