A group of young girls in an elementary school classroom. Since August 2021, the Taliban have methodically stripped women and girls of their access to education in Afghanistan, imposing increasingly severe restrictions. The ban on girls attending secondary schools was implemented in March 2022, followed by a suspension from universities in December of the same year. By January 2023, the Taliban intensified their oppressive measures by forbidding girls from taking university entrance exams, effectively reversing any progress that had been made, including instances in some provinces where girls had higher examination participation rates than boys.
“Were Afghan Women to Unveil Their Tales” is a project that gives a close and respectful look into Afghan women’s lives, showing what they go through in a difficult reality. Afghanistan today faces many problems, and one of the most serious is the loss of women’s rights and freedom.
Since the Taliban took control again, over seventy rules have been made to restrict women’s access to education, work, healthcare, and freedom to move. This harsh environment has greatly worsened the lives of Afghan women, as shown by their own stories and reports. These limits affect women everywhere, from public spaces to their own homes, where they face daily restrictions on movement, opportunities, and even small decisions.
Yet, Afghan women continue to show incredible strength. Their daily choices—like leaving home, running businesses, or organizing in their communities—are brave acts. These actions show a deep determination to hold onto their identity in a society that tries to limit their freedom. Afghan women’s lives are shaped by an inner strength that withstands the pressure of an environment set up to hold them back.
A child in the courtyard of an elementary school. Since the Taliban returned to power, girls are only allowed to study up to the sixth grade and cannot be in mixed classes. An exception is made if there are many boys, allowing mixed classes only up to the third grade. Afghanistan currently stands out as one of the countries with the highest levels of gender-based violence globally, a situation exacerbated by the oppressive decrees of the Taliban and deeply rooted patriarchal norms that deprive women of social privileges, autonomy in decision-making, and control over their assets and resources. The Taliban have progressively eroded the safeguards against gender-based violence, including the dismantling of the judicial system that previously enabled female judges, prosecutors, and lawyers to advocate for women's rights.A group of Taliban members is enjoying the view of Kabul at sunset. The Taliban regained power in Afghanistan in 2021, two decades after being ousted by U.S. forces. During their strict rule, they have severely restricted women's rights and neglected essential services. Since then, the world has adopted a strategy of isolation combined with the new regime. Western nations, particularly frustrated by the Taliban's restrictions on the rights of girls and women, have implemented a series of sanctions, asset freezes, and banking limitations.A Taliban wife takes off her burqa when she returns home. She mentioned that her husband is working in a city far from their village after serving the group for many years before they regained power. Although she is not educated, she is attending madrasa classes to learn how to read and write. In the three years since the Taliban took power, there has been a significant rise in early marriages among Afghan girls. Activists and human rights advocates attribute this trend to parents' belief that securing a spouse for their daughters is preferable to the risk of them being forced into marriage with members of the Taliban.The Taliban flag flutters at Band-e-Amir National Park in Bamiyan province, where thousands of families flock each year to enjoy the crystal-blue lakes and towering cliffs, making it one of the most popular national parks in Afghanistan. However, in August 2023, the Taliban government banned women from visiting the park. This ban is viewed as part of their ongoing efforts to exclude Afghan women from public life. Since regaining power in 2021, the Taliban has prohibited women from education and most forms of employment while imposing strict restrictions on their freedom of movement and appearance. The ban was implemented shortly after Mohammad Khalid Hanafi, the Taliban's minister for the promotion of virtue and prevention of vice, stated that women visiting Band-e-Amir were not properly wearing the mandatory hijab, or Islamic headscarf.Children play in Babur Garden, a park that covers over a thousand square meters and stands as an iconic landmark in Kabul. Since the Taliban regained power, women have been excluded from public gardens, leading to a significant loss of one of Babur Garden's essential values as a social space for all the people of Afghanistan. Men are allowed to take their children to parks and gardens, and young girls are generally permitted to accompany their fathers while they are still very small.Young girls are studying in a school for street children that was established by a female activist in Kabul. Nearly half of the Afghan population (46%) lives below the poverty line. According to U.N. statistics, Afghanistan is the second poorest country in the world. Children's access to essential services has been significantly hampered by prolonged conflict, displacement, extreme poverty, food insecurity, limited livelihood opportunities, a lack of investment in public services, and natural disasters. These factors have increased their vulnerability to serious violations, including recruitment and exploitation, sexual violence, school dropout, and unsafe migration, such as forced returns from Pakistan. The ongoing suspension of girls' secondary and tertiary education has infringed upon their right to education, exposing them to greater risks and harmful coping strategies.In a secret workshop in Kabul, women are attending make-up classes. In 2023, the Taliban announced that all beauty salons in Afghanistan must close, citing that these establishments provided services that are prohibited by Islam and contributed to economic difficulties for the families of grooms during wedding celebrations. The Taliban has restricted women’s employment and access to public places like parks and gyms, and has imposed strict limitations on media freedoms. As a result, millions of high school girls remain out of school, and universities have been deemed off-limits for female students. The women attending this workshop do so with the hope that one day it will be possible to work publicly in this sector again, or to start secret beauty businesses. Some younger participants have even opted to create new clandestine establishments of their own.A group of women is entering the shrine of Abu Fazl, which is possibly Kabul's most renowned Shia shrine, with its minaret being one of the city's best-known landmarks. Taliban leaders in Afghanistan have imposed new restrictions on women, prohibiting them from singing, reciting poetry, or speaking out in public, and requiring them to keep their faces and bodies covered at all times. This decree significantly curtails personal freedoms and religious practices, affecting various aspects of daily life including transportation, music, grooming, celebrations, and the behavior and appearance of women in public.A group of women works in a traditional pastry laboratory in Kabul. The owner, a woman, shared that she had 25 female employees when she first started the business. However, after the Taliban regained power and the economy began to decline, she had to send half of them home because she could no longer afford their salaries. She invested all her savings into this venture and, at one point, had men working there to help with making and decorating special occasion cakes. Unfortunately, with the new Taliban rules prohibiting men and women from working together in the same space, she was unable to continue this arrangement, as she did not have the funds to open a separate workspace exclusively for male workers.
