After two decades of efforts to institutionalize women’s rights in education, employment, and political participation, the Taliban’s takeover on August 15, 2021, marked a turning point that reversed these achievements. Four years after their return to power, Afghanistan, under the shadow of Hibatullah Akhundzada’s decrees, has become a nightmare and a place of terror for women and other citizens who do not align with Taliban ideology.
Several girls in Kabul say their lives under Taliban rule have turned into an endless nightmare. According to them, over the past four years, each new decree from the Taliban has stripped away a piece of their hope, future, and identity. These girls believe the Taliban have systematically suppressed women, transforming Afghanistan into an open-air prison.
Over the past four years, the Taliban have issued dozens of oral and written decrees that have systematically violated the rights of citizens, particularly women. This report examines the most significant Taliban decrees that have deprived women of their fundamental rights and confined them to their homes.
The first Taliban decree, issued on August 15, 2021, mandated the closure of girls’ schools, an action that deprived millions of girls of education. Despite widespread international criticism, the Taliban have not reversed this decision.
Zarmina, one of the millions of girls denied education, says she has been profoundly affected by the Taliban’s decree over the past four years. According to her, this ban not only prevented her from attending school but also halted her life. Zarmina believes that by closing the doors to education, the Taliban have taken not only books but also the future and self-confidence of girls.
With a pained expression, she adds, “These four years of prohibition symbolize the cruelty of a regime that deliberately erases women and replaces education with ignorance. School days are now just memories for me. When I wake up in the morning, I know there’s no path to a future anymore; it’s as if darkness has replaced tomorrow.”
Following the ban on girls’ education, on September 19, 2021, the Taliban dismissed women from government positions and dissolved the Ministry of Women’s Affairs. Then, on November 9, 2021, they closed parks, gyms, and women’s public baths, and on December 6, 2021, they shut down safe houses. Subsequently, on December 27, 2021, travel and use of public transportation for women without a male guardian were banned, and on February 27, 2022, girls were prohibited from receiving international scholarships without a male guardian.
Sitara (pseudonym), a former judicial and prosecutorial employee, says her life changed completely after the Taliban’s decree on September 19, 2021. She adds that after the issuance of this decree, she and her colleagues faced not only psychological and emotional strain but also severe security pressures. She explains: “Believe me, prosecutors have been hit hard not only mentally and emotionally but also economically and in terms of security. Some time ago, prosecutors with higher education applied for simple jobs like receptionists.”
This former prosecutor says that domestic violence has reached its peak, and prosecutors face constant insecurity and lack peace of mind. Sitara emphasizes that she and her colleagues, due to their judicial backgrounds, cannot easily find employment in other fields, making their situation extremely difficult.
The year 1401 (2022–2023) was not free of restrictions either. On October 7, 2022, the Taliban restricted girls’ choice of fields in the university entrance exam. Then, on December 15, 2022, girls were banned from holding graduation ceremonies, and on December 20, 2022, university doors were closed to female students.
Husna and Sakina are among the other victims of the Taliban’s restrictive decrees—two girls who were just steps away from graduation but whose dreams were left unfulfilled.
Husna dreamed of working on the country’s infrastructure projects and contributing to its reconstruction. However, the closure of universities halted everything. She says, “When I see infrastructure projects being implemented in the country, I feel terrible because I know I should be part of every moment of those projects, but I’m not.”
Sakina adds, “Now, there’s no opportunity for work or access to educational courses. Security concerns and the fear of arrest have made our presence in public spaces more difficult than ever. My future is uncertain; I don’t know what will happen.”
The ban on women driving on May 3, 2023, the mandatory wearing of face veils and full coverage in media appearances on May 7, 2023, the prohibition of women filing for divorce on June 15, 2023, and the ban on women working in non-governmental and international organizations are among the other actions by the Taliban that have further marginalized women.
In the years 1402 and 1403 (2023–2024), women in Afghanistan faced increasing restrictions from the Taliban. On July 4, 2023, women’s beauty salons were closed, and on December 4, 2024, health sciences institutes were shut to girls. Additionally, on December 27, 2024, the Taliban issued an official letter, under the directive of their supreme leader, reiterating the ban on women working in domestic and international organizations.
On December 29, 2024, a new decree from the Taliban Supreme Leader mandated that windows in residential buildings opening to areas like courtyards or kitchens—where women typically work or spend time—must be altered or completely sealed.
Furthermore, the reduction of female employees’ salaries, the approval of the Law for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, and the designation of women’s voices and faces as private matters were additional restrictive measures that further weakened women’s status and excluded them from active participation in society.
Several women’s rights activists state that over the past four years, the Taliban have deprived women of education, employment, and social participation through restrictive decrees. These deprivations have had severe consequences for women’s mental and social well-being.
Sahar Tajik, a member of the Women’s Freedom of Thought Foundation, says: “The Taliban have imposed restrictive decrees, most of which target women. These bans have led to poverty, despair, and isolation, and have even stripped thousands of women of their sense of self-worth.”
Over the past four years, dozens of reports from the United Nations, international human rights organizations, media, and other entities active in women’s issues have documented that the Taliban have systematically and deliberately violated women’s rights. According to women’s rights activists, the Taliban’s actions constitute crimes against humanity and gender apartheid.
On Monday, July 8, 2025, the International Criminal Court 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 committing crimes against humanity.
You can read the Persian version of this report here:
