5 things about displaced Afghan women as EU top court decides to grant them refugee status

The European Court of Justice on Friday decided to grant Afghan women the status of refugees based solely on their gender and nationality. While Sweden, Finland, and Denmark automatically provide this status, other European nations evaluate applications individually.

Since the Taliban took over Afghanistan in 2021, it has faced immense backlash from the United Nations over its human rights record and has been accused of systematically depriving women and girls of their liberties.

Three years ago, the Taliban had allayed the fears of the international community about their governance by saying things would be different this time as compared to their previous rule. They said that women living under its leadership would be provided freedom based on the “Islamic law” norms.

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However, as expected, women are the ones bearing the brunt of the Taliban’s authoritative rule with little ray of hope of the situation ever changing for them.

Here are five things to know about displaced women in Afghanistan:

• Although Taliban’s rule has forced many Afghans to flee, the majority of them are women. Since 2021, some 80 per cent of women and children have been displaced, according to UN data.

• While many women have been internally displaced, a considerable number of them had to flee Afghanistan altogether and are now living in various other countries across the world

• Many women face significant risks, including gender-based violence, restricted access to education, and limitations on their freedom of movement. As a result, a growing number are seeking refuge in other countries

• The UN reports that there are 6.4 million Afghans worldwide who are either refugees or seeking asylum, with an estimated 48 percent of them being women and girls

• Last year, Switzerland became the fourth country to automatically grant refugee status to displaced Afghan women and girls after a court ruled that “a self-determined life for women and girls in Afghanistan is not possible under the current regime”