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A glance through The Conversation archive reveals that when Kabul fell to the Taliban in August 2021 our contributors were pretty downcast over the fate of Afghanistan’s women, warning of “enormous suffering to come.”
Three years on, such predictions have been proved painfully right. So-called “vice and virtue” laws recently enforced by the fundamentalist regime have put into sharp focus just how far rights for all, but especially women, have been eroded by the Taliban. Girls over the age of 12 are banned from education, women are forced to wear heavy hijabs and are only allowed to speak within the confines of their own homes. Women are even banned from looking at a man
who is not their husband or blood relative.
“Restrictions have become so harsh that the resulting subjugation has been labelled ‘gender apartheid,’” explains Kambaiz Rafi of Durham University.
Elsewhere this week, we continue to keep a watchful eye on the U.S. election campaign, where, in Democratic Party circles at least, gender equality has taken a step forward (as men take a step back). Meanwhile Fan Yang, from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, explores what the candidates talk about, when they talk about “China.”
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EPA-EFE/Qudratallah Razwan
Kambaiz Rafi, Durham University
Three years ago the Taliban promised it had changed. It is now clear that it hasn’t.
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View Apart/Shutterstock
Karen Lillie, Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies; Claire Maxwell, University of Copenhagen
Many of the Gen Zers who “don’t fly commercial” want to stay close to home.
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Vice presidential candidate Tim Walz has visited China about 30 times.
Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images
Fan Yang, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Of the four presidential and vice presidential candidates, only Tim Walz failed to mention China in his convention speech − and he is the only one with personal knowledge of the country.
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European explorers named the continent, not Africans.
Ipsumpix/Corbis Historical/Getty Images
Jonathan O. Chimakonam, University of Pretoria
The name Africa was given to the continent by European explorers, exploiters, slavers and colonists. It ignores the indigenous people and their accomplishments.
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Marcel Plichta, University of St Andrews
Drone warfare has been highly significant in the Ukraine war, and now it is entering a new phase.
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Tim Lindsey, The University of Melbourne; Simon Butt, University of Sydney
A confrontation between Indonesia’s top court and lawmakers over the outgoing president’s efforts to promote his son and ally in elections has triggered a ‘democratic emergency’.
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Karrin Vasby Anderson, Colorado State University
The masculinity on display at the Democratic convention was groundbreaking as men − from Joe Biden to Pete Buttigieg to Tim Walz to Doug Emhoff − aimed unreservedly to lift up women as leaders.
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Ellie Mackin Roberts, University of Bristol
Kaos is a thrilling romp about gods and mortals vying for power and influence over the cosmos.
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Anna-Lise Williamson, University of Cape Town
New generation vaccines effective against mpox have a better safety profile. The biggest obstacle for Africa now is availability and cost.
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Sandra Peter, University of Sydney
We can celebrate the vision and ambition of the Dartmouth Conference. But we must also learn from its mistakes.
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