For more than four years, the Taliban have crushed the dreams of women by imposing suffocating restrictions that strip them of their rights to education, work, and personal and social freedom. Girls pushed out of classrooms now carry the deep pain of losing their chance to learn in schools and universities, while women who once worked now shoulder the heavy weight of poverty and homelessness. Those who were once independent and self-sufficient can no longer earn an income or meet even the most basic needs of their families. Many now survive in harsh conditions, sharing crowded homes with several families, while struggling with depression, anxiety, and a growing sense of hopelessness.
Women and girls in Balkh province and several other provinces say that under Taliban rule, their hopes have faded into despair. Poverty, unemployment, and fear of the future have turned daily life into a living nightmare. Many of these women say that being confined inside their homes has crushed their abilities and talents, leaving them with pain, self-blame, and deep regret over their inability to work or take part in society.
Sara (pseudonym) is one of the girls denied higher education. After finishing high school, she could not enter university and now remains unemployed because of Taliban restrictions. She says, “I completed twelfth grade, and I should have been able to stand on my own and run my life. There is no work. I am a tailor, but I do not even have the means to help a few others. Winter and the cold bring endless problems, and I also lack the resources to open a small workshop. I am not alone. Millions of women and girls face the same struggle. They studied and worked hard, but no opportunities exist for them.”
She continues, “When I was in ninth grade, I taught literacy classes and earned a salary. I stayed active in society and sometimes even taught for free. I helped girls and children from poor families without charging them. I carried responsibility and supported myself. A woman with a job and independence stands on her own. Now, she falls into poverty, loses her strength, and faces many other problems. She can no longer fulfill her duties or even leave her home.”
Speaking about the Taliban restrictions, especially those enforced by the Morality Police of the group, Sara says, “Every time I step outside, fear follows me. I am afraid the clerics might lash me or turn their anger on me. I constantly check my clothes and my mask so they do not find a reason to punish me. We, women, live in a cage. We do not truly live. We only exist. Inside the house, we can breathe, but outside, our breath is taken away. There is no way to earn an income. Even so, I try to study online when I can. I ask my husband to cover the cost of the internet, my clothes, and everything else. I cannot even pay for my own needs. I am not independent or free, and that pain cuts deep.”
Aziza (pseudonym) also speaks about the lack of work for women and the widespread restrictions. She lives in a rented house and cannot afford the monthly rent. “We face endless shortages,” she says. “It is winter, we live in a rented home, my husband has no job, and there is nowhere for me to work. If work existed, it would not only help me but also many others in the same situation. Out of desperation, three families now live together in one courtyard.”
Another woman, who supports her family alone, says, “I stay at home. My husband has died, and I have seven children. My daughters are unemployed and sit at home with me. We often have nothing to eat. If we manage to find food one day, there is nothing the next. Our problems are so many that I cannot even put them into words.”
Sosan (pseudonym) says, “A girl studies for twelve years through hardship and struggle to prepare for the university entrance exam. I did the same and succeeded in my favorite field, economics. Then the Taliban came, and I was forced to stay at home and lost my right to education. I cannot describe the painful memories of these four years. All our dreams were shattered and buried in our hearts. Still, I hold on to one hope that one day schools and universities will reopen. I wish that the dream of education for every girl in Afghanistan will come true.”
Lailima (pseudonym) says, “Life has become unbearably hard. As a woman, I can work, but I am not allowed to, and no jobs exist for women. Every morning when we drink tea, we wonder where our lunch will come from and what we will eat. Survival has become a daily struggle.”
Fariba (pseudonym) says, “I used to be a teacher, and now I am unemployed. I could not create any source of income for myself. I cannot afford medicine or clothes for my children, and that breaks me. My husband is also unemployed, and together we sink deeper into depression and emotional distress.”
Saarma says, “I graduated from twelfth grade with high marks. Half my day went to tailoring, and the other half to preparing for the entrance exam. But after graduation, I was not allowed to take it. If I had taken the exam, I would now be a second-year medical student. Only my father works. If I were studying, I could help him today.”
These women and girls share their despair as another tragedy unfolds. In the most recent case, a nurse at the regional hospital in Herat province was killed by her husband while returning home from work. Sources confirmed to the Hasht-e Subh Daily that she returned home after her shift and was strangled by her husband. The woman, named Raihana, left behind one child. Her husband fled after the killing and took the child with him. Sources said he had planned to sell her jewelry, and the argument over it led to the murder. A medical source also confirmed signs of strangulation on her body.
Women and girls continue to express fear over poverty, unemployment, and the loss of collective support. UN Women has warned that women-led organizations in Afghanistan may be forced to lay off up to 30 percent of their female staff due to budget cuts. These organizations form the backbone of the support system for women and girls in the country.
For more than four years, the Taliban have removed women from nearly every part of public life. The group has banned girls above sixth grade from attending school and has shut the doors of universities, government offices, and private institutions to women. Through the Law for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, the Taliban have labeled women’s voices as “awrah” and imposed severe restrictions on women and the freedoms of other citizens.
Earlier, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Hibatullah Akhundzada, the Taliban Supreme Leader, and Abdul Hakim Haqqani, the head of the group’s Supreme Court, on charges of crimes against humanity. Most recently, the Australian Foreign Ministry announced in a historic step that it has created an independent framework to impose sanctions on at least 140 individuals and entities under Taliban control in response to the oppression of women and girls.
You can read the Persian version of this report here:
چهارسال سرکوب زنان توسط طالبان؛ فقر و بیکاری چگونه آرزوهای آنان را نابود میکند؟
