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Jennifer Gross is Ohio’s Representative from the 45th District and a USAF, LtCol (Ret.)
August 27th marks three years since one of the most chaotic military failures in American history: the Biden administration’s disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal. In its wake, Afghan women have faced unimaginable suffering, stripped of their rights, and forced into darkness and oppression.
Prior to the U.S. diplomatic and military withdrawal, Afghan women thrived, playing vital roles in virtually every sector of Afghan society. They served in the judiciary, held jobs in journalism, healthcare, higher education, and contributed significantly to the Afghan economy.
The women of Afghanistan prospered under deliberate efforts to elevate their status in society. Before the Taliban’s takeover, women held 27% of parliamentary seats in Afghanistan. In these roles, they developed a Ministry of Women’s Affairs, an independent human rights commission, and sponsored and passed laws criminalizing violence against women.
As a member of the Ohio House of Representatives and a former combat flight nurse and retired Lieutenant Colonel who served in Saudi Arabia, I recently had the honor of participating in a discussion with fellow legislators and Roya Rahmani, Afghanistan’s first female ambassador to the United States. She painfully described the current plight of Afghan women since the Taliban regained control. Since America’s withdrawal, the oppressive Taliban has issued 80 edicts, 54 of which directly target women and girls. The restriction of women is a cornerstone of Taliban control, and it has effectively restored female oppression to levels not seen since 1999.
Women are once again banned from attending parks, gyms, and denied an education beyond the 6th grade. Now, there are few, if any, opportunities for women to work outside of lower-level positions in healthcare and education sectors. Afghan women have become prisoners within their own homes. Young girls are told they cannot drive, cannot become lawyers, cannot attain a high school or college education, and cannot travel internationally.
The United States invested considerable resources and lives in the fight for Afghan independence. In the 20 years prior to Biden’s withdrawal, more than 3,500 allied soldiers were killed in war, including 2,448 American service members, and more than 20,000 Americans were injured. Research from Brown University estimates that approximately 69,000 Afghan security forces were killed, along with 51,000 civilians. These lives were priceless, and the monetary cost to the US was approximately $2 trillion.
But despite the desperate and grim situation for Afghan women, there is hope. Over two decades of freedom cannot be easily erased. The seeds of freedom and prosperity for the Afghan people have been planted. These seeds may lie deep in the darkness of oppression and fear, but freedom never dies.
As colonial-era Congressman Samuel Sherwood said, “Liberty has been planted here; and the more it is attacked, the more it grows and flourishes.” Benjamin Franklin echoed this sentiment, stating, “everything that is really great and inspiring is created by the individual who can labour in freedom.”
Despite their suffering, Afghan women continue to hold onto hope. They refuse to relinquish their right to equality and dignity.
It would be a grave mistake to let decades of cooperation between the U.S. State Department and the freedom-loving people of Afghanistan vanish. It is incumbent upon our next President to refocus our foreign policy priorities and initiatives to include strategies for supporting the struggling people of Afghanistan.
The seeds of freedom have been sown in this besieged nation. We must use every diplomatic tool at our disposal to offer unwavering support and nurture those seeds of hope.
