Razia Joya

Nagoya University, Japan

Title: Taliban Policies Towards Women: An Analysis of Interaction Between Deobandism and Pashtunwali

---

Biography

Razia Joya is a PhD candidate at Graduate School ofInternational Development, Nagoya University. She holds a master’s degree ininternational development from Nagoya University and a bachelor's degree inPedagogy from Kabul University. She is currently working as Human ResourcesConsultant with United Nations University Center in Tokyo and attends AdvancingBusiness Innovation and Entrepreneurship Training at UNITAR Hiroshima.

Razia Joya is a solid development professional withdiverse experience in capacity building, monitoring and evaluation, communitymobilization, education management, and project management, committed tobringing about social change to improve people's lives. She has proven abilityto build and nurture productive partnerships with diverse stakeholders andinternational organizations to enable effective communication in amulticultural environment.

Razia is a visionary leader passionate about women’sempowerment and women’s rights focusing on equality and social justice tocontribute to a better world for all regardless of gender, ethnicity, race,etc.

Abstract

Thisstudy which is part of my master’sdegree thesis submitted to Nagoya University, explores the complex interplaybetween Deobandism and Pashtunism in creating Talibanism and shaping the policiesof the Taliban towards women. The Taliban's rule has been marked by violationsof women's rights, with severe restrictions on education, employment, andpublic appearance making Afghanistan the only country in the world with such formalnationwide bans on women.  

Thestudy delves into the historical and cultural context, tracing background ofthe Taliban as an Islamic movement originating from Pashtun regions influencedby Deobandi interpretations of Islam through education at Madrassa andPashtunwali tribal traditions.

Inthis research, the current consensus and belief as well as roots of 30 announceddegrees of Taliban related to women’s education, employment, and publicappearance are analyzed in Deobandism and Pashtunwali. It is a qualitativestudy with a survey of 44 respondents as primary data and Fatwas of Deobandismand Pashtunwali tenets including Pashtu language proverbs as secondary data. Descriptiveand thematic analysis are implemented.

Theresults show that stringent interpretations of Deobandi Islam, with a focus onPurdah and gender segregation, contribute to the Taliban's oppressive measuresagainst women. Simultaneously, the Pashtunwali code of conduct, valuing womenas symbols of honor but positioning them as inferior to men, serves as acultural tool for the Taliban to violate women’s human rights.

The research contends that Talibanism, emerging fromthe synthesis of Deobandism and Pashtunwali, is instrumental in shaping thegroup's treatment of women. Views of Deobandism on women's rights andPashtunwali's gender norms are inseparable and mutually reinforce each other,forming the strong basis for the Taliban's policies towards women. This study contributesto understanding the plight of women under the Taliban regime, offeringmultidimensional insight for policymakers and development practitioners inaddressing women’s issues in Afghanistan.