Many women are still suffering from injustice in Afghanistan as the Taliban continue to rule over the war-torn country and enforce their personal brand of government. A similar situation can be seen in the U.S. where many female members of society are restricted and given limited authority over their own bodies.
The Taliban took control of Afghanistan's capital, Kabul, on Aug. 15, 2021, and quickly set up its own government in the region. Despite promising equal rights to all members of society, the militant group is facing backlash from women who are protesting near the capital palace on Friday, demanding equal rights.
While the insurgent group promised that women will have access to education, work, and roles in the government, many are skeptical of the legitimacy of the promises. History has shown that enforcement of Sharia law in the region has restricted women's rights by not allowing them to be seen in public, the Associated Press reported.
New Abortion Ban
The law has become one of the most limiting legislation in the United States and the developed world as it also allows private citizens to bring civil lawsuits against anyone who assists or helps a pregnant individual to get an abortion, violating the law. The new law also gives other Republican-led states looking to pass similar legislation and puts Roe at further risk.
The United States is one of 55 countries worldwide that have legalized abortion at the request of the pregnant individual. Those who wish to undergo the process are not required to justify their request, the World Health Organization said, CNN reported.
However, some states have implemented restrictions on getting an abortion which has made it more difficult for individuals to seek the process in some places compared to others.
The new legislation quickly drew fire from activists as the state's largest anti-abortion group also publicized a website where people can inform the government of those who violate the law. The page, prolifewhistleblower.com, was set up by Texas Right to Life and was designed to support the new law.
Immediately after it was set up, the website, which contained an online form where people can submit tips anonymously, received an unexpected amount of false information. Some of the tips alleged that Texas Gov. Greg Abbott was in violation of the law. Some individuals also accused fictional members of Marvel's Avengers of seeking abortions.
The majority of the false tips were handed in by activists on TikTok, programmers, and Twitter and Reddit users who said they wanted to make things complicated for the administrators of the website, the New York Times reported.
TikTok Activists and Programmers
People who were against the law criticized its restrictive nature because it bans the majority of abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy. This is before the time that a pregnant individual will even know that they conceived a child. On Thursday, United States President Joe Biden said that the current situation has given an "unconstitutional chaos" against women.
A TikTok user identified as Sean Black developed a script that autonomously created fake tips to the prolifewhistleblower website. After the website attempted to block him from submitting false information, Black gave the public a shortcut that would allow anyone with an iPhone or iPad to create fake reports using a randomly generated Texas ZIP code.
"McCarthyism-era tactics of turning neighbors against each other over a bill I feel is a violation of Roe v. Wade is unacceptable. There are people on TikTok using their platform to educate and do their part. I believe this is me doing mine," Black posted on his account, Yahoo News reported.
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