Global Journal of Human Social Science, H: Interdisciplinary, Volume 23 Issue 5

To What Extent Can Body Politics be used to Define Afghan Women's Sexuality as Locations of Power and Control under Taliban’s Rule? A Contemporary Foucauldian Interpretation of Femininity in Body Politics © 2023 Global Journals Volume XXIII Issue V Version I Global Journal of Human Social Science - Year 2023 ( ) H 21 Chiara Rambaldi Abstract- Central Asia. Iran to the west, and Pakistan to the east. We are in Afghanistan, and more specifically, in a Taliban-controlled country. The character of national politics and social connections in Taliban Afghanistan has been shaped by harsh gender policies and patriarchal restrictions. The Taliban's leadership has exacerbated the country’s weak social structure and lack of a centralised, modern state, resulting in a severe case of underdevelopment (Goodson, 2001). Statistics are instructive: socio-economic issues such as unemployment and poverty account for 20% of national concerns, while education account for 12%, and finally, a lack of essential amenities for 8% ( Bizhan, 2013 ). In this difficult situation, it is logical to wonder: who are the most vulnerable members of this fractured society? The focus turns to women. Indeed, women are the demographic segment paying the largest price for Afghan shortcomings in terms of Taliban decision-making. Taliban’s severe regulations on women, who are denied of countless social opportunities under the Taliban patriarchal culture, disguise Afghan underdevelopment, resulting in detrimental inequalities inside the country (Moghadam 2002). Keywords: women; foucault; body politics; afghanistan; development. I. I ntroduction n examination of the restrictive situation women face in the Taliban-Afghan environment is required to establish the progress principle for a just, inclusive society free of misogyny and inequities. As a result, this essay will try to do so and will be divided into four main sections, each of which is mutually exclusive. The first part describes Taliban advent and ascend into Afghanistan, to better contextualise the following discussion of the analysed case study. Secondly, a discussion of Foucauldian bio-political conceptions and supporting contributions to his theory will follow, which help understand how bio-power and bio-politics are utilised to control women’s bodies for Taliban to dominate Afghanistan. As Foucauldian ideas will be the driving force behind this essay’s analysis, the third section will be an exploration of some Taliban policies used to exert authority over women’s bodies. The latter will be investigated in terms of education, clothing, and health-care interventions. While Foucauldian principles are crucial to the examination of Afghan women’s body subjugation, the final essay component will be a theoretical criticism of the Foucauldian power and resistance paradigm. Eventually, this study connects Foucault’s theory with the Taliban’s control over women’s sexuality; an overall study pointing to the Taliban's creation of “docile bodies”, which are key components of Taliban knowledge construction, public system domination, and authoritarian ascendancy. Afghanistan and its people have been under Taliban authority since the autumn of 1994, when Taliban leader Omar created a fundamentalist and extreme religious student militia in reaction to widespread social unrest across the nation (Johnson, et al., 2007). In the twenty-first century, Taliban control and its governing power in Afghanistan have come and gone, enacting restrictive measures based on a rigid interpretation of Islam (Rashid, 2000). Because of their gender and class relations’ patriarchal view, The Taliban's rise to power has been facilitated by the country's fragile state, which is ranked 15th out of 16 on the Fragile States Index, which is a valuable tool for identifying the most vulnerable states on the edge of collapse (Anon, 2021). Along with the lack of action of the international, and arguably feminist, community, Taliban have progressively increased their power over the whole country, taking advantage of the Afghan political instability and fragmented ethnic-based society, which resisted Western development strategies (Gallagher, 2005). While the consequences of this harsh condition include LGBTQ people, persons with disabilities, orphans, and other vulnerable citizens, women remain the most vulnerable and widely oppressed part of society, as this paper will show. Patriarchy-based social order confines them, granting only men rights, dignity, and unlimited access to public space. To impose power and control over women, the Taliban employ a variety of measures, including imposing cultural norms through self-surveillance and self-discipline, particularly in areas affecting the body, such as hygiene, healthcare, and sexuality (Mottier, 2012). While the Taliban have exploited sexuality and (women’s) bodies for biopolitical benefit, Foucauldian notions best define the disciplinary authority used directly on the bodies to maintain and perpetuate Taliban power structures. Therefore, the following Foucauldian theorisation of Afghan women's marginalisation may contribute to a better under- A Author: e-mail: chiarafutura@gmail.com