Gender Rules Hinder Afghan Earthquake Rescue, Leaving Women Behind
Gender Rules Hinder Afghan Earthquake Rescue, Leaving Women Behind
As Afghanistan grapples with the aftermath of a devastating magnitude-6 earthquake and subsequent aftershocks earlier this week, centuries-old customs and stringent gender rules imposed by the Taliban are severely impeding rescue efforts, particularly for women. The disaster, which has claimed at least 2,200 lives and injured 3,600, has left scores of buildings in rubble, yet many female survivors remain trapped or are among the last to be rescued due to prohibitions on men touching women.
In the critical hours following the initial quake, which struck eastern Afghanistan’s mountainous regions on Sunday, male rescue workers have reportedly hesitated to extract women from debris in the absence of female counterparts. A New York Times report quoted Bibi Aysha from Kunar province, whose village saw rescuers arrive over 36 hours after the quake, stating, “They gathered us in one corner and forgot about us.” Aysha, 19, and other women and adolescent girls were reportedly pushed aside while injured men and children received prompt attention.
Tahzeebullah Muhazeb, a male volunteer, observed a similar pattern in Mazar Dara, noting that women seemed “invisible” to all-male medical teams hesitant to assist them. In cases of fatalities, deceased women are being dragged out by their clothes to avoid skin contact, further highlighting the profound impact of these cultural and religious dictates on humanitarian operations.
The Taliban, which regained power four years ago and has since imposed sweeping restrictions on women’s education, employment, and movement, has created an environment where such gender-based barriers in rescue operations are a grim reality. The lack of women in most jobs, including humanitarian roles, directly contributes to the current crisis, as female rescuers are critically absent. As the nation continues to deal with aftershocks, including a magnitude-5.6 tremor on Thursday, the challenges posed by these gender rules are exacerbating an already dire humanitarian situation, leaving many vulnerable women without crucial aid.
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