The Taliban intensified their restrictions on women by preventing them from participating in the five-day “Construction and Reconstruction” exhibition at the Afghanistan International Exhibition Center in Kabul. Women who had planned to showcase their handicrafts and other goods were denied entry and could not attend the event. According to these women, the Taliban instructed them to send their products through male guardians, while forbidding women from entering the exhibition or making purchases, leaving their goods unsold. They said the only remaining option for selling their items is small women’s markets, which the Taliban also tightly control. At the same time, other businesswomen reported that in previous exhibitions, Taliban members had made marriage proposals and threatened them, warning that refusal could endanger them and their families.
In the past, the Taliban promoted exhibitions and women’s participation through media and social networks for their own image. Yet in the fifth edition of the exhibition, titled “Construction and Reconstruction,” they barred all women and girls from attending or visiting. They ordered women engaged in trade to send their goods through male relatives, while no woman could enter the exhibition to sell or showcase her handicrafts and artistic creations.
One young artist, who hoped to market and sell her paintings at the exhibition, said she was not allowed to participate or even enter the venue. She recalled that the exhibition management explicitly stated that women had no right to take part in this edition.
She said: “During this five-day exhibition, we were neither allowed to participate nor to visit. The management made it clear that women have no rights here, and they will not grant any permission.”
Forozan (pseudonym), another businesswoman, added: “At this exhibition, no woman could participate. We were told to send our goods through male guardians, but still no woman was allowed inside. The Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice made it clear that women cannot enter. I hope these restrictions are reconsidered, because these small trades are all that remain for us. The situation is alarming. The handicrafts sent through male guardians were returned because no woman had the right to enter the exhibition.”
Some participants had previously expressed concerns about harassment by Taliban members. They reported receiving marriage proposals and even threats. Taliban officials repeatedly tried to obtain their WhatsApp numbers. At first, the women refused, but the officials eventually accessed their contact details through institutions that had introduced the girls to the exhibitions.
Samira (pseudonym), who attended the previous exhibition, said that weeks after the fourth international exhibition in Kabul, she faced disturbing consequences. Some Taliban officials not only proposed marriage but also threatened her with forced marriage.
She said, “At first, I was asked to join more exhibitions, but I declined because I was not ready. Now, some Taliban individuals have even come to our home to propose marriage.” She stressed that her experience is not unique, and many other girls attending these exhibitions faced similar situations.
She continued: “We thought these exhibitions were opportunities for work and progress, not fear and pressure. After the exhibition, the messages began—messages unrelated to work. When I refused to share my number, the same individuals contacted me on WhatsApp a few days later. I still do not know how they got it. We are told that if we resist, problems will arise for our families and us. This is no longer a proposal; it is pressure.” She emphasized that, out of fear of the Taliban and misunderstandings from relatives, they cannot speak openly about these issues.
A video on social media shows dozens of women standing outside the exhibition gates, while Taliban fighters and Morality Police watch over them. Women with covered faces gaze at the gates. Those who shared the video online wrote that women are systematically excluded from this exhibition and other areas of life simply because they are women, and this exclusion continues intensively.
Earlier, several female journalists told the Hasht-e Subh Daily that Enayatullah Khwarazmi, spokesperson for the Taliban Ministry of Defense, had proposed marriage to them. He contacted them through his personal number, claiming to be “modern” and unlike other Taliban members. The journalists said such conduct has forced many female reporters to avoid covering news about the Ministry of Defense to protect themselves from harassment.
Meanwhile, a United Nations Security Council monitoring team recently reported that the situation for women and girls in Afghanistan remains critical. Citing a UNICEF review, the report found that, based on the Afghanistan Gender Index 2024, eight out of ten women are denied education and employment.
Afghanistan has the second-largest gender gap in the world. Experts estimate that Taliban policies toward women cost the country’s economy more than one billion dollars every year.
You can read the Persian version of this report here:
از ممنوعیت تا مزاحمت؛ طالبان فرصت تجارت زنان را به ترس و تهدید تبدیل کردند
