Taliban-Era Restrictions Leave Afghan Women Unassisted After Deadly Earthquake

Following a devastating magnitude 6 earthquake in eastern Afghanistan, female survivors faced neglect and discrimination during rescue efforts due to Taliban-enforced cultural norms forbidding physical contact between unrelated men and women. Rescue teams, composed entirely of men, prioritized men and children, leaving women and girls, some injured and trapped under rubble, unattended for hours. Women like 19-year-old Bibi Aysha reported being gathered in corners and forgotten, while male volunteers noted hesitation among rescuers to help women, sometimes dragging deceased women by their clothes to avoid skin contact. The disaster exposed the harsh realities of gender apartheid under the Taliban, including bans on women’s education and participation in medical professions, further worsening the shortage of female rescue workers. Humanitarian organizations stress that women and girls will bear the brunt of the disaster and call for their needs to be central to the ongoing response and recovery efforts. This crisis highlights the compounded vulnerabilities Afghan women face amid natural disasters and systemic gender discrimination.