Women, extremism and repression under Taliban 2.0 in Afghanistan: beyond the good

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article examines the position of women in Afghanistan after the Taliban return to power in August 2021. Importantly, the anti-modern and anti-western political ideology of the Taliban played a substantial role in how they came to power again through unorthodox and unconstitutional means, exercising extensive total control and power in an unconstitutional and arbitrary manner. The article argues that the current situation in Afghanistan is bleak, especially for women. It thus therefore proposes that the Taliban must embrace a pluralistic balancing of space for all religious perspectives within Islam and local cultures of Afghanistan to be recognised as a political entity responsible for legitimate governance in Afghanistan. Simply trying to repress women, whether rhetorically or actually, is indeed beyond minimum expectations of good governance.