Why Were Afghan Women Not Rescued From Earthquake Rubble? What Is Taliban’s ‘No Skin Contact’ Rule?

Rekha Sharma, Rajya Sabha Member and former Chairperson of the National Commission for Women, expressed concern on X about gender inequality faced by Afghan women after the recent earthquake. She said the tragedy was not only natural but also a man-made disaster caused by religious prejudice.

Reports revealed that women trapped under rubble were left without help as male rescuers were restricted from touching or pulling them out. Survivors narrated that men and children were rescued first, while women were kept aside. Sharma said the incident highlighted the severe impact of discrimination during disasters.

Taliban Policies Restrict Rescue and Relief for Women

Sharma said that this was not the first time Afghan women suffered under the pretext of religion. She pointed out that Taliban restrictions prevented female rescuers from working and stopped male rescuers from saving women. She claimed that this practice left women punished twice once by natural disaster and then by discriminatory rules. She said the Taliban’s rigid interpretation of Islam had already denied women the right to education, employment, and healthcare. Now, women were also deprived of timely rescue during calamities, making them invisible victims in a society governed by strict gender-based restrictions.

Gender Bias Against Women in Muslim Societies

The Rajya Sabha Member said that women in many Muslim societies faced similar forms of bias. She stated that women were often denied education, restricted in mobility, and forced to follow dress codes such as hijab or burqa. She added that these restrictions reflected control over women’s bodies and choices. Even during disasters, such biases continued to exist, putting women at greater risk. She emphasised that this was not religion but patriarchy used through religious diktats. She said Afghan women’s suffering after the earthquake showed how gender inequality deepens during emergencies.

On this note, Rekha Sharma urged the international community and civil society to raise their voices against such injustices. She said disasters expose the deepest inequalities when women die not only from collapsed buildings but from collapsed conscience.

She stated that no faith could justify denying women the right to be saved. According to her, every religion teaches compassion, but when rules suppress humanity, oppression takes its place. 

What Is Taliban’s – NO SKIN CONTACT Rule? 

Where on one side the country is suffering massive deaths o ver massive back to back earthquakes, well te count stands at – 2,200 killed  and over 3,600 injured, officials said the quake reduced entire villages to rubble, leaving families trapped under collapsed homes.

Afghanistan’s “No Skin Contact” rule is a restriction enforced by the Taliban that forbids men from touching women who are not their close relatives, such as a father, brother, husband, or son.

Under this rule, even in life-threatening situations like natural disasters or medical emergencies, male rescuers and doctors are not allowed to physically assist women. This has created serious challenges during rescue operations, as many women trapped under rubble after the recent earthquake were left behind because rescuers hesitated to touch them.

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