We are just a few days away from March 8th, the international women day. The day has special significance for Afghan women, as their country has been rated the worst place for women to live. In Afghanistan women have remained deprived of their basic rights since centuries. Violence against women has brought forward shocking incidents where women have suffered physical tortures that have resulted in their cutting of body parts. Also, faces of school girls have been attacked with acid and self-immolation is a growing trend amongst women of Afghanistan.

Amid such grave situations faced by Afghan women, the Ullama Council of Afghanistan has come up with a resolution that suggests imposition of certain restrictions on participation of women in their social life. According to the resolution, women should be prohibited from traveling or communicating – in their workplace - with a man who is not her brother, father, son or husband and girls and boys should be separately taught in educational institutes. The resolution comes at times when a few weeks back the Afghan Ministry of Culture and Information urged the female anchors working with local TV channels to avoid heavy makeup and appear in a complete Islamic Hijab.

Such impracticable steps that stand in contradiction to the constitution of Afghanistan should be considered as the first signs of Taliban's return to power in Afghanistan. Already, there are serious concerns among women activists on negotiation process with Taliban.

Concerns persist because the Taliban had locked down women behind the walls of their houses, their education was banned and if any woman was found breaking the rules, she was inhumanely punished in open public. The little gain women have had in the last ten years is at stake as there are doubts that Afghan government will enter into a deal with Taliban compromising over the basic rights of Afghan women.

There are many Islamic countries where women work, get education and contribute immensely to development of their countries. Since Afghanistan is in dire need of speedy development hampering the vital roles of Afghan women who form about fifty percent of our population would prove to be a tragedy.