Prostitution Under the Taliban

With the arrival of the Taliban the social and more importantly the economical problems for the women of Afghan has increased. These women live their lives under monstrous oppression of both Jehadi and Taliban fundamentalists in disastrous situations, most of the Afghan women’s basic human rights are denied to them. By the rule of the Taliban, women are denied the right to have a job, this ruling that has created a flood of unemployed women in Kabul. These women that are unemployed now face very serious financial difficulties, suffering along side them are their children. Together that suffer from malnutrition, hunger many forms of illnesses as well as living that a chronic state of poverty. Majority of these women have lost their husbands and have sold the last of their valuable possessions in order to buy food. The women that were fortunate to be able to afford to leave the country and build a new life outside of Afghanistan have long go from the scene. The women that could not afford to leave have become the bulk of beggars in their country. Surprisingly the majority of the street beggars are ex teachers and civil servants.

With Kabual being in a bad state of economy it has hit hard the pity income of these beggars. The banning of female beggars entering shops, inns as well as other trading places has increased and this has affected the women’s income greatly. This has forced them to enter into prostitution simply in order for them to make sure that both their children and them-selves survive. Many young widows that are the sole bread earner in their family have had all their doors closed on them with job prospects and have joined the rank of prostitutes as well.

Preliminary research on this issue has showed that there are hundreds of new prostitutes that have joined the ranks with the professional ones. Most of these women are working from their homes under the name of ‘Qala’. In the city of Kabul there is somewhere between 25 to 30 brothels actively functioning. However due to security reasons these brothels are constantly on the move every few months.

The brothels usually have three to five women working and living in them. ‘Kharabati’ is the name given to the prostitute while the old woman that manages the work of the brothel is call ‘Khaka Kharabati’ and the pimps are called ‘Qala Dar’.