17/08/2026
👉 Since the Taliban's return to power in August 2021, Afghan women have been steadily pushed out of public life. Girls are barred from school beyond grade six, women are excluded from universities, most jobs, parks, gyms, and beauty salons, and a recent morality law forbids their voices from being heard in public. A male guardian, or mahram, is now required for movement outside the home, and face-covering is mandatory.
👉 Healthcare access is collapsing alongside these restrictions, with male staff in some regions barred from treating unaccompanied women. Malnutrition is worsening too, compounded by gender bias in food allocation within struggling households.
👉 Economically, the toll is stark: women's labour force participation has plunged from roughly 21% in 2015 to about 5% today, while 80% of female journalists have lost their jobs and only 18% of midwives remain employed. The UN estimates this exclusion costs Afghanistan at least $84 million annually. Meanwhile, a new marriage law effectively legitimizes child marriage, as impoverished families increasingly turn to marrying off daughters as an economic last resort.
👉 Street protests have grown rare after organizers faced detention and torture; but rare does not mean gone. Recently in Herat, people took to the streets to protest the unfair arrests of women and young girls. Taliban forces opened fire on the crowd, killing two people, including a child. And still, through the terrifying sound of gunfire, one woman's voice did not break: "Azadi!" (Freedom!).
👉 Even facing deadly violence, Afghan women keep fighting for their most basic rights: education, work, and freedom. At Swayong, we stand in awe of their bravery, and we refuse to let their voices be silenced.
Written by: Suravita Basak, Munasib Ahmed
Designed by: Suravita Basak
