Africa

A court says emergency workers must be allowed to enter a mine where hundreds are thought to be without food and water.

South Africa prove too strong for England at Twickenham's Allianz Stadium, as Cheslin Kolbe scores twice in a nine-point win.

South Africa prove too strong for England at Twickenham's Allianz Stadium, as Cheslin Kolbe scores twice in a nine-point win.

A sudden flurry of activity as Jagadish Vasudev, known widely as Sadhguru, emerges from an interview room in the COP29 media centre. It’s early days of the conference and there is energy and excitement at the venue in Baku. With his long flowing beard and blue turban, it’s clear that many journalists are keen to interview […]

Protesters at COP29 call for climate justice. Credit: Isaiah Esipisu/IPS

By Isaiah Esipisu
BAKU, Nov 16 2024 (IPS)

African environmental activists at the ongoing climate summit (COP29) in Baku have called on climate financiers to stop suffocating poor countries with unbearable loans in the name of financing climate adaptation and mitigation on the continent.

Just a few months ago, a wave of protests by young people rocked the East and West African regions, protesting against exorbitant taxes that were being imposed on them for the governments to raise extra finances to service foreign loans.

“We reject loans or any type of debt instrument for a continent that had no role in warming this planet; we indeed refuse to borrow from the arsonists to put out fire they lit to burn our livelihoods,” said Dr. Mithika Mwenda, the Executive Director at the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA).

According to PACJA, between 70 and 80 percent of all the finances from the Green Climate Fund (GCF) to African countries come in the form of loans, through intermediaries, and by the end of the day, only some lucky climate-burdening communities can access the money—estimated at about 10 percent of the total funds disbursed.

Dr. Mithika Mwenda during Africa Day at COP29. Credit: Isaiah Esipisu/IPS

“We demand these finances be directed first and foremost toward those who are most exposed to climate risks and least able to adapt, said Mwenda. “This means moving beyond fragmented and delayed funding and toward a reliable, affordable, accessible and timely flow of finance (in the form of grants) that reflects the actual scale of the crisis,” he said during Africa Day, an annual event organized by the African Development Bank on the sidelines of COP29.

Several examples mitigation and adaptation loans were touted during the event which would mean that African taxpayers would be required to repay loans of more than USD 1.6 billion.

“Some of these projects do not have footprints of the target communities in terms of prioritization,” said Charles Mwangi, a Nairobi-based climate activist.

“Communities need to take lead in decision-making and framing of these projects,” he said, noting that most of the finances are lost in expensive air tickets for consultants who are based abroad, hotel expenses and allowances.

On the contrary, Kenya is piloting a program known as ‘Financing Locally-Led Climate Action (FLLoCA).’ A 5-year initiative jointly supported by the Government of Kenya, the World Bank and other donors aimed at delivering locally led climate resilience actions and strengthening county and national governments’ capacity to manage climate risk.

“We are advocating for such policies that position adaptation at the forefront, not as an afterthought,” said Mwenda. “We amplify the voices of local organizations and grassroots leaders in these discussions, so global commitments reflect the priorities on the ground,” he said.

At COP29, discussions on the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) offer a critical moment to reshape global financing in a way activists believe will truly address Africa’s needs.

“It is essential that adaptation finance be needs-based, mobilized from public finances in the Global North, and be grant-based, with resources that consider the private sector as a third or fourth solution and not the first solution,” said Mwenda.

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A Zambian woman in her 80s is adored for modelling in striking and playful fashion photographs.

A Zambian woman in her 80s is adored for modelling in striking and playful fashion photographs.

Cyclone Idah in 2019 caused catastrophic damage and a humanitarian crisis in Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and Malawi, leaving more than 1,500 people dead and many more missing. Credit: Denis Onyodi / IFRC/DRK

By Aishwarya Bajpai
BAKU, Nov 16 2024 (IPS)

The irony is that at forums like COP29, dubbed the finance COP, rich countries often behave as though they can sidestep their financial obligations, Yamide Dagnet, Senior Vice President, International at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), says.

Yamide gave IPS an exclusive interview in which she shared her wisdom on the so-called finance clubs, the Loss and Damage Fund, the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) and COP29’s focus on advancing climate finance.

Reflecting on her recent experience at COP16, Dagnet recalled, “I attended the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in Cali, Columbia for the first time. While there were breakthroughs for local communities and businesses, the process ultimately ended in disarray, particularly regarding finance.”

She criticized the lack of accountability from developed countries, stating, “In these forums, developed countries often behave as if they can sidestep their financial obligations. But that can’t continue. We must keep engaging and pushing for accountability.”

Addressing the influence of the recent U.S. elections, Dagnet remarked, “The elections overshadowed everything. Many developed countries feel overwhelmed, fearing they’ll need to cover for the U.S., which has historically fallen short on its commitments and is now attempting a comeback. The ambition of their public commitments remains disappointingly low.”

On the broader challenge of climate finance, she added, “Reaching USD 100 trillion in finance will require an enormous effort. What’s being proposed now simply doesn’t match the scale of the crisis.”

She explained that compared to a year or even a few months ago, many of the most vulnerable countries are focused on ensuring that funding is allocated fairly.

Yamide Dagnet, Senior Vice President, International at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC).

Questions remain about how much will go to the Least Developed Countries (LDCs), small island states, and Africa. There’s still a push to direct at least half of the funds toward mitigation efforts. Accessibility and transparency in allocation are critical.

“This isn’t charity,” she emphasizes. “It’s about investment. The cost of inaction and non-investment far outweighs the investment required to address these issues effectively.”

Further addressing carbon credits, Dagnet remarked, “While there have been changes, transformations, and innovations—mainly driven by developed countries—carbon credits can play a role but shouldn’t be overestimated. There’s been a lot of unrealistic expectations about their potential, with talk of billions in funding. But then what? We need to approach this carefully and get it right.”

Dagnet emphasized the need for environmental integrity and equity to be central to climate initiatives, stating, “For these systems to be robust and equitable, environmental integrity must be at their core. Without it, there won’t be a fair distribution of benefits, especially for those who need it the most.”

She pointed to the negotiations around Article 6.2, noting, “While a common market can offer opportunities, there’s clear evidence of how things can go wrong. Every effort must be made to ensure it works effectively and fairly.”

Reflecting on the human cost of climate inaction, Dagnet shared, “I often think about Mozambique. They face adverse conditions year after year, leaving communities in a constant state of crisis. They can’t rebuild schools properly and live in tents for years, with their livelihoods repeatedly destroyed. Is this the future we want to accept?”

On the Loss and Damage Fund, Dagnet emphasized the importance of viewing finance as a means to an end rather than the end itself.

“What we see in Mozambique is a clear result of losses and damages. Following the breakthrough of establishing a Loss and Damage Fund, the priority is to ensure it is regularly replenished. While last year’s pledges reached about USD 700 million, it’s far from enough to provide adequate support.”

She highlighted the multifaceted nature of addressing loss and damage: “There’s a need to mitigate damages, adapt to extreme conditions like heat, and address the limits of adaptation. For example, with sea level rise, adaptation can only go so far before people are forced to migrate. These costs—tangible like relocation expenses or intangible like cultural and psychological impacts—must be addressed through diverse support mechanisms.”

Dagnet stressed the need for grant-based solutions designed with input from local communities.

“Solutions must not be purely top-down. Discussions within the Loss and Damage Fund should ensure funds reach frontline communities. However, some countries resist this approach, preferring centralized control, while local communities and civil society know they need direct access to funds.”

Innovative mechanisms for community benefit-sharing are crucial: “Big corporations, including pharmaceutical and tech companies, often use data from local communities without adequate compensation. Implementing a levy on such data usage could create a fund to benefit these communities. A percentage of profits derived from local knowledge should return to those communities, ensuring they see tangible benefits from their contributions.”

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Soumya Guha, the Global Director of Programs, Plan International. Credit: Umar Manzoor Shah

By Umar Manzoor Shah
BAKU, Nov 16 2024 (IPS)

Plan International, a global leader in advocating for children’s rights and gender equality, sees the need for women and Indigenous people to be at the forefront of climate negotiations.

Founded in 1937 during the Spanish Civil War, Plan International has spent over eight decades working to improve the lives of children in some of the world’s most underprivileged regions. While its initial focus was on broader child welfare, the organization has, over the last ten years, shifted its attention toward empowering girls, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds. This strategic pivot has an understanding that girls often face compounded barriers to education, health, and economic opportunities, especially in remote and conflict-prone areas.

Today, Plan International, says Soumya Guha, the Global Director of Programs, operates in 52 countries, supported by fundraising activities across 22 locations. Its programs target the most marginalized communities, focusing on holistic, long-term development alongside emergency humanitarian responses. This dual approach has allowed the organization to integrate its development goals with pressing needs, such as disaster resilience and conflict mitigation.

“We believe the first five years of a child’s life are critical in shaping their future,” Guha said. The organization’s “I Am Ready” program, implemented in countries like Laos, Tanzania, and Cambodia, addresses linguistic and social barriers faced by children from marginalized groups. By offering a ten-week intensive program that prepares children for primary school in their local language, the initiative has led to a remarkable 37 percent improvement in school attendance and retention rates.

In earthquake-prone areas, the organization has introduced disaster preparedness programs that equip schools to respond effectively during emergencies. “In the Kathmandu earthquake, schools participating in our safety programs were able to evacuate quickly, saving lives,” Guha said.

Beyond education, Plan International emphasizes sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), ensuring that young people have access to critical information and resources. Programs that support economic empowerment, such as initiatives involving school feeding programs, complement these efforts. In Sierra Leone, for instance, women’s cooperatives not only supply food for schools but also reinvest their earnings to establish educational facilities in underserved areas. This approach has created a ripple effect, fostering gender equality, boosting local economies, and enhancing educational outcomes.

Recognizing the disproportionate impact of climate change on marginalized communities, the organization integrates climate adaptation strategies into its education and health programs. In Asia, combating child marriage and addressing climate vulnerabilities are emerging priorities. “Child marriage is a persistent issue in Asia, and we are determined to tackle it alongside climate change challenges,” Guha said.

He added that operating in regions affected by conflict and disasters requires a nuanced approach. In Ethiopia’s Tigray region, where prolonged conflict has displaced thousands, Plan International works with local organizations to provide immediate relief while also supporting host communities. This dual focus aims to ease tensions and promote peacebuilding. Similar strategies have been employed in Bangladesh during the Rohingya refugee crisis, where the organization ensured that support extended to both displaced populations and the local communities hosting them.

“Technology plays an increasingly important role in Plan International’s programs, particularly in remote and resource-poor areas. In Sierra Leone, for example, a digital platform called Televret enables real-time feedback on the quality of school meals, ensuring accountability and timely action. In Ethiopia, augmented reality tools are being piloted to support children with learning disabilities by making educational content more accessible and engaging,” Guha said.

The organization plans to continue its focus on early childhood development, education, economic empowerment, and climate resilience. While its geographic priorities remain centered on Africa and Asia, it will also maintain a presence in South America, addressing deep-seated inequities that persist despite overall economic progress in the region.

Guha stressed the importance of international cooperation at COP29, particularly in climate finance. The organization advocates for ambitious funding targets, stating that developed nations should bear a significant share of the responsibility. “The most marginalized communities, including women and indigenous populations, must be at the forefront of climate finance allocations,” said.

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Ismahane Elouafi, Executive Managing Director of the Consortium of International Agricultural Research Centers (CGIAR). Credit: CGIAR

By Umar Manzoor Shah
BAKU, Nov 16 2024 (IPS)

As COP29 negotiations continue in Baku, agricultural leaders are pitching the need for climate-resilient and data-driven solutions to support marginalized farmers and low-income communities.

In an exclusive interview with Inter Press Service (IPS), Ismahane Elouafi, Executive Managing Director of the Consortium of International Agricultural Research Centers (CGIAR), discusses the impact of digital tools, precision agriculture, and low-emission food systems on achieving a sustainable and equitable food future. 

Inter Press Service: How helpful are digital tools in supporting marginalized farmers?

Ismahane Elouafi: Digital tools offer immense potential, especially in bridging the knowledge gap between agricultural experts and rural farmers who often lack access to information. Over the past few decades, funding for traditional extension services has dwindled, so digital solutions in local languages can fill this void. Imagine a farmer receiving real-time advice on managing water, soil fertility, or disease in a language they understand—this could revolutionize small-scale farming. Additionally, precision agriculture, which tailors input needs to specific locations and soil compositions, allows for highly customized farming strategies that optimize both resources and yields.

IPS: Can you explain how precision agriculture works in practical terms?

Elouafi: Precision agriculture allows us to deliver exact inputs—water, nutrients, or fertilizers—needed for a specific plot. This approach minimizes waste and environmental impact, and it’s especially useful in regions where resources are scarce. For instance, if a plant needs 20 milliliters of water in one square meter but only 10 milliliters a few kilometers away, precision agriculture ensures we don’t overuse resources. Ultimately, the goal is to increase productivity sustainably, producing more output per hectare with fewer inputs, especially in a time where climate pressures demand we be mindful of environmental impacts.

IPS: How essential is biodiversity to resilient farming systems?

Elouafi: Resilience means that after a shock—a drought, flood, or even conflict—farmers can bounce back and continue production. CGIAR’s focus is to provide tools, technology, and genetic resources that make this possible. We’ve developed rice varieties that survive flooding and maize that tolerates drought, helping farmers maintain productivity despite climatic stressors. Another key factor is small-scale irrigation, which allows farmers to respond to drought by providing supplemental water, ensuring resilience and food security.

IPS: You mentioned low-emission food systems. How can agriculture contribute to climate goals?

Elouafi: Agriculture is responsible for about 33 percent of global greenhouse gases. By shifting to low-emission practices, we can greatly reduce methane and other emissions. For example, traditional rice paddies release large amounts of methane. However, alternative wetting and drying practices can cut methane emissions by 30 percent while boosting productivity by 33 percent. In livestock, using specific forages and studying animal gut microbiomes can reduce methane emissions by up to 60 percent. Agriculture is uniquely positioned to sequester carbon through practices like cover cropping and biodiversity, which is crucial in mitigating climate change.

IPS: Could internet and data use enhance climate security?

Elouafi: Absolutely. Digital access and internet coverage in rural areas can provide timely climate information, like rainfall predictions, which empowers farmers to make better planting decisions. With projects like Elon Musk’s nanosatellite network expanding internet access, marginalized farmers can increasingly leverage climate data. CGIAR also focuses on producing accurate data for the Global South, as existing climate models often rely on data from the Global North, which doesn’t reflect realities in places like Sub-Saharan Africa or South Asia. Our data can inform region-specific, actionable climate strategies.

IPS: How does CGIAR support innovations and resilience in vulnerable regions?

Elouafi: CGIAR operates the largest publicly funded international agricultural research network, with a strong focus on least-income countries. Our goal is to close the yield gap between high- and low-income nations by providing bundles of innovations: drought-resistant varieties, small-scale irrigation, processing improvements, and access to markets. By helping farmers integrate these innovations, we ensure they’re more resilient and have a steady income. Additionally, our research helps policymakers design better frameworks to support smallholders and incentivize sustainable agri-food systems.

IPS: What do you hope COP29 will achieve in advancing agricultural and climate agendas?

Elouafi: COP29 must carry forward the momentum from COP28, where the UAE’s Declaration on Sustainable Agri-Food Systems was endorsed by 160 countries. Agriculture, food, and water systems need to be central to climate discussions. As we look to COP30 in Brazil, with its expertise in regenerative and climate-smart agriculture, I hope we continue viewing agriculture not as part of the climate problem but as an essential solution to it. Climate adaptation in agriculture is non-negotiable—lives and livelihoods depend on it.

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IPS' senior journalist Joyce Chimbi in conversation with IFAD President Dr. Alvaro Lario. Credit: IPS

By Joyce Chimbi
BAKU, Nov 16 2024 (IPS)

Life in remote, marginal areas, drylands and deserts is increasingly becoming difficult because rural people are in the crosshairs of an unprecedented climate onslaught. A substantial number of lives and livelihoods are on the line, as nearly half of the world’s population, 3.3 billion, lives in rural areas and 90 percent of them are in developing countries.

For many of them, agriculture is their lifeline and yet, there are increasingly limited tools and resources to build climate resilience. Dr. Alvaro Lario, President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and UN Water Chair, spoke to IPS about the urgent need for an ambitious climate adaptation goal and focus on how the poorest, who are being more impacted by climate change, can benefit.

“Most of the heads of state I speak to, especially in Africa, are very much focusing on how they can support their rural areas with many of the extreme weather events they experience, whether it is floods, droughts or extreme heat. That goes even beyond agriculture,” Lario observed.

“Climate adaptation, especially for rural people, is at the centre of our work. We believe it should also be at the centre of the discussions at COP29. We must unlock the finance and solutions to support rural women and men to adapt to extreme weather events. At COP we talk a lot about mitigation and what is needed in terms of the technology and the energy transition, but less about adaptation.”

Lario further stressed the need for discussions on envisioned goals in terms of “climate adaptation and also, more importantly, how that trickles down to the small-scale farmers and the rural areas. During COP, strong announcements were made, in particular an announcement of increased investments in climate finance by multilateral development banks.  We need to see how this will be implemented. IFAD has committed to investing 45 percent of our Program of Loans and Grants over the next three years into climate finance, and that mostly means adaptation.”

IFAD President Dr. Alvaro Lario. Credit: IPS

Lario is a seasoned international development finance leader. He received a PhD in Financial Economics from the Complutense University of Madrid after completing a Master of Research in Economics at the London Business School and a Master of Finance from Princeton University. Under his stewardship, IFAD became the first United Nations Fund to enter the capital markets and obtain a credit rating, enabling the IFAD to expand resource mobilization efforts to the private sector.

On progress towards achieving COP29 top priorities, the IFAD President observed, “We only have a first draft of the negotiation and there is reference to adaptation. However, it is only the preliminary stage, so our ask is to ensure that we have a finance goal for adaptation, not just the overall goal for climate finance in general. We also need to start discussing what the financial vehicles should be and the instruments to mobilize the private sector.”

“We need to ensure the right structures or platforms that allow the private sector to come in are in place. At IFAD, we have been putting together a number of these structures, for example, with local financial institutions and with carbon credits, to attract private sector money into projects that benefit rural farmers.

Throughout his participation at Baku COP29, Lario has reiterated the need to send out a clear message that if there is going to be a successful energy and sustainable food systems transition, individual communities need to reap and feel the benefits. Emphasising that climate adaptation investments are not a sunk cost as they save lives, support livelihoods, and are key to addressing inequality.

According to UN statistics, as of 2022, four out of five people lacking at least basic drinking water services lived in rural areas. As Chair of UN Water, he has, in tandem, emphasized that extreme heat and too much or too little water are threatening the livelihoods of small-scale food producers who supply over a third of the world’s food.

Lario, for instance, says that a historic drought in Brazil has impacted coffee production. In Ghana, erratic rains cut cocoa production by half. And in Southern Africa, maize harvests are well below average due to an historic dry spell.

Stressing that “in many commodities and crops, this is also impacting food prices. Food inflation across developed and developing economies will always adversely impact those communities with lower incomes who are less resilient.

“So here in Baku, as world leaders work toward new climate finance goals, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) is advocating for a truly ambitious commitment to support small-scale farmers. Investing in food producers’ resilience is not only the right thing to do—it’s an investment with a business and social return,” Lario emphasized.

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In the United States, in 2024 alone, there have been 24 climate change associated events with losses exceeding $1 billion each. Credit: Shutterstock.

By Esther Ngumbi
URBANA, Illinois, US, Nov 15 2024 (IPS)

The United Nations recently released the 2024 Nationally Determined Contributions synthesis report, just weeks before presidents, global leaders, climate scientists and activists convene in Azerbaijan for the 2024 United Nations Climate Change Conference. The report reveals that current national climate plans are not sufficient.

This is particularly alarming considering how many countries, including the United States, were negatively and economically impacted by climate change associated disasters this year, including flooding, extreme heat, drought, and pest out breaks.

In the United States, in 2024 alone, according to NOAA, there have been over 24-billion-dollar climate change associated events that have causes losses exceeding $1 billion. Also in the United States, damage by flooding averages $46 billion a year. In Western Africa, flooding disrupted the lives of millions and resulted in overwhelming losses. In the greater Horn of Africa, millions are facing food insecurity and acute hunger due to repeated droughts.

Funding flooding research would help to cut down the devastating impacts flooding has on agricultural crops and the financial burdens that come about after flooding including government and insurance payouts to those that are impacted

Flooding, that ranks in the top three of the disasters, according to NOAA, has particularly hit hard in 2024. It has caused destruction not only of human lives but of livestock, poultry, and agricultural plants.  Yet, to date, flooding news has only focused on the impacts flooding has on humans and not plants. Yet the recent flooding events in Spain, for example, have negatively impacted agriculture.

Worse still is the fact that many of these climate-change associated events often happen concurrently, producing catastrophic and compounding  effects  on livelihoods and economies.

Conversations surrounding COP29 will heavily focus on climate finance and the need to grow the finances being committed for climate change action. While finance can help reduce the impacts these climate disasters have on livelihoods and economies, those investments need to be coupled with investments exclusively dedicated to climate research.

Investing in emerging climate disasters such as flooding today will be crucial and boost climate resilience. Otherwise, in the future, food shortages will become more common and food prices more volatile, with the potential to exacerbate conflict over scarce resources.

Funded flooding research will not only provide foundational answers about the impacts of flooding, but also solutions.  These multifaceted solutions range from identifying and breeding flooding tolerant crops, and finding sustainable products that can be applied to help plants and soils to recover well and boost their ability to defend themselves from pests, pathogens and plant viruses following flooding.

Similarly, flooding research could also identify combinations of crops that can be planted together to suppress flooding impacts while finding regenerative agricultural practices that do help to mitigate flooding impacts on plants.

Financial investments in flooding research are necessary. These can come through governments’ national science funding agencies.

In the United States, for example, the National Science Foundation, NOAA, and United States Department of Agriculture are big funders of research. To ensure that these emerging climate change associated stressors, particularly flooding and its impacts on agricultural crops are addressed via research, special proposal calls can be advertised and funds set aside to specifically fund flooding related research.

There are indicators that we are moving in the right direction. Recently, the BIDEN-Harris administration, through NOAA funded over $22.78 M to advance research of water-related climate impacts .

However, though encouraging most of the funded projects are on modelling and improving prediction of flooding.

For example, $7.6 M was awarded to fund work to create street-level maps of potential flood, improve models of how water cycles through nations rivers, all of which will help communities and businesses better understand the effects of extreme rainfall.

None of the projects focused on understanding and predicting the impacts flooding will have on agricultural plants or finding solutions to conquer the negative impacts flooding has on plants, soils and beneficial microbes that underpin plant health and productivity. These are areas that must be funded, too.

Funding flooding research and research surrounding building climate resilience would help ensure that lives are saved, infrastructure-related damage is cut down. Importantly, funding flooding research would help to cut down the devastating impacts flooding has on agricultural crops and the financial burdens that come about after flooding including government and insurance payouts to those that are impacted.

A 2024 climate resiliency report revealed that for every $1 invested in preparing for climate change associated disasters saves communities $13 in damages and economic impacts.

Similarly, according to the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, every $1 invested in prevention and preparedness can save up to US$15 in damages and economic costs.

Research has continued to provide sustainable solutions to climate change-associated disasters. Investing in flooding research today will prepare us for tomorrow and a future where flooding events are expected to increase.

 

Esther Ngumbi, PhD is Assistant Professor, Department of Entomology, African American Studies Department, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Richard Bennett, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, briefs reporters at UN Headquarters. Credits: UN Photo/Mark Garten

By Oritro Karim
UNITED NATIONS, Nov 15 2024 (IPS)

It has been three years since the 2021 Taliban offensive and the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan continues to grow more dire. Human rights violations are committed by the Taliban insurgent group on a frequent basis, with gender-based discrimination and violence being regular occurrences for millions of Afghan women. Gender inequalities are pervasive, with freedom of speech and mobility being significantly limited. The humanitarian crisis is exacerbated by widespread impunity enjoyed by members of the Taliban.

Shortly after the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan, a number of fundamental rights were stripped from over 14 million women that reside in the country. In 2023, the United Nations (UN) dubbed Afghanistan as the most socially and culturally repressive nation for women’s rights in the world.

The Taliban has imposed widespread violations of economic independence for all Afghan women. Women have been removed from their positions in all sectors of the workforce, with limited exceptions in healthcare and education. However, most employers opt to hire men in these fields. Women-owned businesses such as hair salons were forcibly shut down.

“This isn’t about getting your hair and nails done. This is about 60,000 women losing their jobs. This is about women losing one of the only places they could go for community and support after the Taliban systematically destroyed the whole system put in place to respond to domestic violence,” says Heather Barr, associate women’s rights director for Human Rights Watch (HRW).

According to a study conducted by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), after the Taliban enforced these work restrictions, Afghanistan’s economic output fell by over 20 percent, making it one of the poorest countries in the world. Banning women from work has also raised rates of poverty significantly, with 96 percent of the entire population being at risk of falling below the poverty line.

Additionally, millions of girls and women have experienced their rights to education being stripped away after the Taliban took rule. Currently, Afghanistan is the only country in the world where women and girls are barred from secondary and higher education. According to a report from the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), there are approximately 2.5 million girls who lack access to schooling, which equates to 80 percent of Afghanistan’s population of young girls.

In the three years since the Taliban took power once more, they have erased decades of progress for education in Afghanistan, greatly threatening the future generation. “One thousand days out of school amounts to 3 billion learning hours lost or 1.5 million girls. This systematic exclusion is not only a blatant violation of their right to education, but also results in dwindling opportunities and deteriorating mental health. The rights of children, especially girls, cannot be held hostage to politics. Their lives, futures, hopes and dreams are hanging in the balance,” said Executive-Director for the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Catherine Russell.

Freedom of mobility for women in Afghanistan has also been severely restricted. One of the 80 edicts established by the Taliban that target women’s rights bans all women from visiting public locations without the accompaniment of a male chaperone, referred to as a mahram. “The cumulative effect of the Taliban’s edicts and behaviors has largely resulted in the imprisonment of women within the walls of their homes,” said UN Women.

A dress code has also been implemented in the 80 Taliban edicts. If Afghan women are to leave their homes, they are expected to be covered from head-to-toe, with only their eyes exposed, usually in a burqa. Women are also prohibited from speaking in public. These decrees were met with significant backlash from Afghan women, humanitarian organizations, and world leaders alike. When asked for the reasoning behind this order, Khaled Hanafi, Taliban’s acting minister for the promotion of virtue and prevention of vice, explained, “we want our sisters to live with dignity and safety”.

“The Taliban are really taking a very significant step in terms of stripping away what autonomy still remains for women and girls. They’re creating a situation where it’s not even in the hands of women and girls themselves to make a decision about whether they’re going to resist the Taliban on this, what types of risks they’re willing to take with their own safety,” Barr said.

Over the past three years, rates of forced and child marriages have risen sharply. According to a report from UNICEF, the lack of education for women and girls has caused an increase in reported child marriage.

“As most teenage girls are still not allowed to go back to school, the risk of child marriage is now even higher. Education is often the best protection against negative coping mechanisms such as child marriage and child labour,” Henrietta Fore, former UNICEF Executive-Director, had said on the situation. Estimates from UNICEF also indicate that 28 percent of Afghan women aged 15-49 years old were married off in exchange for a dowry. There are also reports of girls as young as 20 days old being sold off.

Women who have protested these laws have been subjected to a host of human rights violations including enforced disappearance, arbitrary detention, and physical torture. For women who have had the vast majority of their civil rights taken away, the banning of peaceful protests and freedom of speech has been described as a crushing blow.

Nausheen, an Afghan women’s rights protester, spoke to BBC reporters of the conditions the Taliban subjected her to when they detained her one year prior. “The Taliban dragged me into a vehicle saying ‘Why are you acting against us? This is an Islamic system.’ They took me to a dark, frightening place and held me there, using terrible language against me. They also beat me. When we were released from detention we were not the same people as before and that’s why we stopped protesting. I don’t want to be humiliated any more because I’m a woman. It is better to die than to live like this,” she said.

HRW reported cases of women being detained in poorly ventilated rooms, with little access to food, water. Furthermore, many women reported being denied contact with their families. According to Amnesty International, “UNAMA (United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan” recorded 1,600 incidents of detention-related human rights violations between January 2022 and July 2023, half of them constituting torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment”.

The Taliban has enjoyed vast levels of impunity for their crimes against women for decades. This seems most evident in the last three years, despite their claims to work closely with the international community to ensure the wellbeing and protection of rights for all Afghans. Despite condemnation and pressure from the international community to reverse their bans on girls’ education and women’s rights, largely the Taliban has only continued to double down and introduce increasingly restrictive laws limiting the spaces for half of the population. Afghan women and girls have faced dire conditions at the hands of Taliban personnel and have had their fundamental rights taken away from them. Access to justice has been denied for thousands of victims due to the Taliban abolishing existing laws that would lead to them being investigated or persecuted. HRW has pointed out that the existing legislature was replaced with a “narrow interpretation of sharia law”, with previous judicial personnel being fired in favor of candidates that support the Taliban’s policies.

The international community has urged the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to look into these violations of international humanitarian law.

“Afghan women and girls have faced some of the harshest consequences of Taliban rule, and they have led the difficult fight to protect rights in Afghanistan. Unfortunately, their pleas to the international community to stand by them have not been answered,” said Barr.

In an address to the UN Human Rights Council back in June, Richard Bennett, the special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, warned of the severe social implications of a lack of justice for human rights violations committed by the Taliban. “Failure to effectively tackle the cycle of impunity only emboldens the Taliban’s oppressive regime and reduces the possibility of genuine & durable peace in Afghanistan and beyond,” he said. Bennet has also supported calls for the UN to recognize gender apartheid in Afghanistan as a crime under international law.

IPS UN Bureau Report

 

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