Margaret Atwood’s dystopian novel The Handmaid’s Tale has long been a harrowing exploration of a world where women’s rights are stripped. Set in the fictional Republic of Gilead, but based on the real life news clippings Atwood collected for research, the story presents a society where women are reduced to their reproductive functions and are subjected to a brutal theocratic regime. While the novel is mostly a work of fiction, recent developments in Afghanistan, under the Taliban’s rule, have drawn eerie parallels to the oppressive world Atwood imagined.

n.b. The Taliban, an “Islamist” militant group, regained control of Afghanistan in August 2021 after the withdrawal of U.S. and NATO forces, marking the end of a 20-year conflict. Since their return to power, the Taliban has imposed strict, oppressive rules, particularly targeting women and girls - leading to widespread human rights violations and the erasure of women from public life.

The Subjugation of Women’s Bodies and Lives

In The Handmaid’s Tale, the women of Gilead are categorised and controlled based on their reproductive capabilities. The Handmaids, who serve as the novel’s central figures, are forced into sexual servitude, their sole purpose being to bear children for the ruling class. These women are stripped of their identities, especially their names, which are replaced by labels that signify their ownership by powerful men. Their lives are governed by strict rules that forbid them from reading, writing, or speaking freely. In Gilead, women are nothing more than property, valued only for their ability to conceive and bear children.

The situation for women in Afghanistan under the Taliban is alarmingly similar. Since the Taliban regained control of the country in August 2021, they have systematically dismantled the rights of women and girls, reversing two decades of progress.

On the 21st August, 2024, the Taliban published 35 articles of its new morality law, “The Law on the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice”, detailing and expanding on the extreme restrictions imposed on the rights of the Afghan population. According to Forbes:

“Reportedly, Article 13 imposes that it is mandatory for a woman to veil her body at all times in public. A face covering is said to be essential. This is to avoid temptation and tempting others. Women are to cover themselves in front of non-Muslim males and females. A woman’s voice is deemed intimate, and as such, women are not to be heard singing, reciting, or reading aloud in public. Women are not allowed to look at men they are not related to by blood or marriage and vice versa. Article 19 bans the playing of music, and the transportation of solo female travellers, among others.”

As well as the dire and worrying restrictions on religious freedom and autonomy, schools, universities and hospitals that once welcomed female students have been closed to them, effectively erasing women from the public sphere.

The Erasure of Women’s Identities

Atwood’s Gilead is a place where women’s identities are erased, subsumed under the roles imposed on them by the regime. Handmaids are stripped of their names and are forced to take on new ones that reflect their subjugation, such as “Offred” (one of the main characters in the novel) which literally means “Of Fred,” signifying their ownership by a Commander named Fred. This erasure of personal identity serves to dehumanise women, reducing them to mere objects for the state’s use.

In Afghanistan, the Taliban’s policies similarly seek to erase the identities of women. By barring them from education, work, and public life, the Taliban deny women the opportunity to shape their own futures. Combined with the enforcement of strict dress codes and the requirement for women to be accompanied by male guardians in public spaces, women are also stripped of their autonomy and are reduced to roles within the home — any aspirations beyond that are systematically crushed. This erasure is a tool of control, ensuring that women remain invisible and powerless within society — much like within The Handmaid’s Tale.

nb. Autonomy — “the ability to make your own decisions about what to do rather than being influenced by someone else or told what to do”.

The Weaponisation of Religion

One of the most striking parallels between The Handmaid’s Tale and the current situation in Afghanistan is the weaponisation of religion to justify the control of women. In Gilead, the regime uses a distorted version of Christianity to legitimise its oppressive practices. Biblical texts are cherry-picked and twisted to support the subordination of women, who are told that their suffering is part of God’s divine plan.

The Taliban, too, justify their rules with a selective and extreme interpretation of Islam by claiming that their restrictions on women’s rights are in line with Islamic teachings. The Taliban’s use of religion as a tool of oppression mirrors the tactics of Gilead’s rulers, showing how religious narratives can be manipulated to serve the interests of those in power (or those who want to be).

Resistance and Resilience

Despite the overwhelming oppression in both Gilead and Afghanistan, women’s resistance and resilience shine through. In The Handmaid’s Tale, the protagonist, Offred, secretly defies the rules of Gilead, finding small ways to assert her autonomy and maintain her sense of self. The novel explores the underground resistance network known as “Mayday,” which works to overthrow the regime and liberate the oppressed.

In Afghanistan, women have shown extraordinary courage in the face of the Taliban’s brutal rule. Despite the risks, Afghan women have taken to the streets to protest the restrictions placed on them, demanding their right to education, work, and freedom. These protests are often met with violence, yet they continue, a testament to the strength and determination of Afghan women. International organisations and activists have also rallied in support of Afghan women, calling for global action to protect their rights and ensure their voices are heard.

Global Relevance

It is important to note, however, that Atwood took inspiration for her novel from real-life instances across the globe. As such, advocating for women’s rights and autonomy is a global fight.

Very recently, Ugandan Olympian, Rebecca Cheptegei, was killed after a dispute with her ex-boyfriend led to him setting her on fire.

In France, 71-year old Gisèle Pelicot publicised a trial where, over a decade, her husband (Dominique Pelicot) routinely drugged her and invited strangers from the internet to rape her while she was unconscious. Dominique also kept photos of his daughter and daughter-in-laws naked, without their knowledge or consent.

A student doctor in India was found dead by her colleagues, on the 9th August, in the seminar room she fell asleep in. Autopsy reveals she had been raped and brutally murdered (evidence points towards several perpetrators). nb. Indian laws prohibit identifying a rape victim and their family to protect their anonymity.

Over in America, The US Supreme Court has been hearing cases about how close to death a women must be to receive an abortion in states with extremely strict abortion bans (such as Idaho).

Changing the Narrative

The parallels between The Handmaid’s Tale and life in Afghanistan are a stark reminder of the dangers of complacency when it comes to women’s rights. Atwood’s novel, while fictional, serves as a powerful cautionary tale about the fragility of freedom and the ease with which rights can be stripped away under authoritarian rule. The events in Afghanistan show that the struggle for women’s rights is ongoing and that the fight against gender-based oppression is as urgent as ever.

In both Gilead and Afghanistan, the subjugation of women is used as a means of maintaining control and perpetuating power structures. The erasure of women’s identities, the weaponisation of religion, and the systematic denial of basic rights are tools of oppression that, unfortunately, have deep roots in our world. The resilience and resistance of women, however, offer hope and a path forward, reminding us that the fight for equality is one that must be continually waged and protected.

The similarities between The Handmaid’s Tale and Afghanistan are not merely coincidental but serve as a powerful indictment of any society that seeks to control and oppress women. As we witness these events unfold across the world, we must understand Atwood’s narrative and work collectively to ensure that the dystopia of Gilead is known as only fiction, not reality.