Changes in Gender Policy from the First (1996-2001) to the Second (2021-2025) Taliban Regime in Afghanistan

Abstract

This MA thesis argues that the Taliban’s gender policy has changed between the first and second regime: while many goals remain consistent, the second regime shows some changes in policy instruments and formalization and clearer changes in implementation patterns, including timing, exceptions, and uneven enforcement. It systematically describes and explains this policy change. One of the main areas of the Taliban’s focus in both regimes has been the issue of women and their rights. The Taliban’s first regime is known for imposing severe restrictions on women’s lives in Afghanistan due to their ideological and cultural views on women which were reflected in their gender policies. However, in their second regime, unlike the first one, the Taliban have not completely removed women from public life, education, work environment, and access to services instantly and completely. For instance, the Taliban have imposed their restrictions on women gradually, with some exceptions, and there are some behavioural changes in practice. These adjustments, as this research concludes, do not appear mainly driven by ideological change, but rather stem from internal resistance and external pressures; however, a change in preferences cannot be fully ruled out. Besides international sanctions and other external pressures, internal resistance, especially by women, has played a pivotal role. Afghan women today are more active and connected to the world. Their protests—though often silenced—have reached beyond borders. At the same time, global actors like the United Nations (UN) and human rights organizations have criticized the Taliban and used political tools to influence them. The Taliban are also worried that their mistreatment of women would be recorded and spread by social media users. These changes in the environment have shaped the Taliban’s approach, even if their beliefs often appear stable.