Key facts
- Afghan women report their lives are unrecognisable five years after the Taliban takeover.
- Girls are banned from secondary and higher education, and women face severe restrictions on work and travel.
- The Taliban's foreign minister stated that women are not totally restricted, citing millions of girls in schools and rising female entrepreneurship.
- Hundreds have been publicly flogged since 2021, and women face imprisonment for perceived transgressions.
- Healthcare access for women is severely limited, contributing to high maternal mortality rates.
- Some women express hope and are working to create employment opportunities and advocate for women's rights.
Five years after the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan, women and girls describe their lives as unrecognisable due to severe restrictions imposed by the hard-line Islamist group. The Taliban, removed from power two decades prior by a US-led coalition, has systematically eroded women's rights since August 2021.
Women interviewed by the BBC, one of the few media organizations with continued access to the country, detailed the impact of these policies. Girls over 12 are barred from secondary and higher education, travel is restricted without a male chaperone, and laws have been introduced that imply legal approval for child marriage. Many women spoke under pseudonyms, fearing reprisals.
One woman, Ela from Kabul, stated that survival has become the priority due to overwhelming poverty, pushing education and future aspirations aside. Afghanistan is currently the only country globally where girls are officially banned from secondary and higher education. Shakiba recounted the Taliban's takeover on August 15 as the most painful day, feeling her dreams were taken away, though she managed to complete secondary education online. Her lifelong goal of becoming a pilot now seems impossible.
When questioned by BBC Afghan, Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi stated that it is incorrect to say everything is banned for women, claiming that three million girls are attending schools and religious madrassas. He asserted that only a small part of women's affairs are restricted "until further notice." However, United Nations data indicates that only 7% of women in Afghanistan are employed, as they have been banned from many workplaces and fields of study. Zuhal, a former news anchor, described being pushed out of her job and losing a part of her identity.
Muttaqi also claimed that female entrepreneurship has risen significantly, from 30,000 in 2020-2021 to 120,000 currently. He added that women serve as teachers, civil servants, and entrepreneurs, denying a total ban on all forms of engagement. The Taliban has also resumed public corporal punishments, with official records indicating hundreds of floggings since 2021, though the true number is likely higher. Shaima recounted being whipped 50 times and forced to confess to apostasy and collaborating with infidels, an experience that traumatized her family. Manizha was publicly lashed 39 times over a friendship and subsequently jailed, experiencing severe psychological distress.
The restrictions significantly impact healthcare access, contributing to one of the world's highest maternal mortality rates. Midwife Marzia described witnessing a mother of six die after traveling from a remote district, highlighting the dire consequences of limited access to healthcare, especially for women. Maryam, expecting a child, expressed deep worry about her daughter's future, fearing a lack of female doctors during childbirth.
Despite the grim reality, some women maintain hope. Noori, 24, who studied law and political science, is working to help women by establishing her own company to provide employment opportunities. Asma, 13, aspires to be a doctor and believes change will eventually come. Ela, a dental assistant, urged the international community to remember Afghan women and girls, advocating for their right to education and work and calling for solidarity rather than silence.