Afghanistan Archives

A photo of protesters holding signs and chanting

‘We have to fight back.’ Afghan women are losing their hard-won right to work under the Taliban

Afghan women's participation in the workforce rose steadily in the 20 years after the Taliban were ousted from government. Since they returned to power, those gains have been rapidly eroding. Now activists fear a new edict mandating the burqa in public could destroy them altogether.

by Zahra NaderMay 17, 2022

Co-published with TIME

Photo of a Taliban fighter standing with a weapon at a check point in Afghanistan

What the Taliban means for queer Afghans

During the US occupation, little was done to build a support network for the LGBTQ+ community in Afghanistan. Now their lives are in danger as they struggle to flee.

by Zahra Nader, Zahra MousawiApr 20, 2022

Co-published with Foreign Policy

Dating in the time of the Taliban

For most Young Afghans coming of age under US occupation, the Taliban was a history lesson. For them, mingling in restaurants and dating was normal. Now, everything has changed.

by Zahra Nader, Kreshma FakhriMar 4, 2022

This story was co-published with The Cut.

Afghanistan’s new government imposes discriminatory restrictions on healthcare

A new requirement from the Taliban— that women be accompanied by a male chaperone when seeking healthcare—is preventing many Afghan women from getting the treatment they need at a time when the country is facing a severe economic crisis, food insecurity and a massive spike in COVID-19 cases.

by Zahra Nader, Nargis AminiMar 2, 2022

This story was co-published with Rukhshana Media and Foreign Policy.

A photo of a Taliban soldier pointing a weapon at a driver at a checkpoint

Dispatches From Afghanistan: She Attended a Protest. Then Taliban Showed Up at Her Door

An Afghan woman is attacked by a Taliban soldier during a protest. Then one shows up at her door the next day. Now she must flee.

by Fatima EtemadiNov 2, 2021

This story was published in partnership between Rukhshana Media and The Fuller Project.

A photo of students raising their hands in a classroom

‘My Classmates Have No Hope’

“We were the ones hoping to shape the future, but they took that future away from us,” a teen girl writes, describing the “terror” of attending a high school in northern Afghanistan under Taliban control—the latest dispatch in our series with Rukhshana Media, “Ending America’s Forever War: What is next for Afghan women?”

by Razia MohseniNov 1, 2021

This story was published in partnership between Rukhshana Media and The Fuller Project.

A photo of a group of women looking at cell phones

'We Must Stay Strong': As Freedoms Erode, An Aspiring Student Calls for Solidarity, Hope

A young Afghan woman seeks solidarity and hope for women and girls despite Taliban oppression.

by Sakina RezvaniOct 25, 2021

This story was published in partnership with Rukhshana Media and The Fuller Project.

Dispatches From Afghanistan: ‘Can You Imagine How Difficult It Is to Feel Exiled in Your Own City?’

A female journalist in Kabul adjusts to life under the Taliban’s shadow.

by HadisOct 22, 2021

This series was published in partnership with Rukhshana Media and The Fuller Project.

A photo of university students in a classroom

She Survived Two School Attacks. Now She Fears Pursuing Education Will Make Her a Taliban Target

A 19-year-old dressmaker in Kabul fears her dreams of continuing her education will make her a target for the Taliban.

by NafizaOct 21, 2021

This story was published in partnership with Rukhshana Media and The Fuller Project.

A photo of a car with a ribbon and flowers on the windshield

Dispatches From Afghanistan: Engineer Faces Forced Marriage to Taliban Member

An Afghan agricultural engineer fought for her education and her career. Now she's being forced to marry a member of the Taliban.

by Nargis OmarSep 30, 2021

This series was published in partnership with Rukhshana Media and The Fuller Project.

Photo of a group of women staging a protest as men stand in a doorway

Dispatches From Afghanistan: 'I Went Out and Shouted for Freedom'

An Afghan college student had only heard stories about what life was like under the Taliban. Then months before graduation, "everything fell apart."

by NilSep 30, 2021

This series was published in partnership with Rukhshana Media and The Fuller Project.

A photo of a Taliban fighter aiming his gun at the photographer

Dispatches From Afghanistan: Life of Fear Replaces Life of Dreams After Taliban Takeover

Once the breadwinner for eight people, an Afghan woman says she now feels "in prison" since the Taliban took over Afghanistan.

by LailaSep 30, 2021

This series was published in partnership with Rukhshana Media and The Fuller Project.

Photo of a packed crowd behind a temporary fence with liter on the ground

Struggling to survive: Afghan journalist describes harrowing escape

"During the days that I lived under the dark shadow of the Taliban, I felt like a bird in a cage. Like a bird with wings, but no permission to fly," Afghan journalist Zahra Joya…

by Zahra JoyaSep 15, 2021

A photo of an Afghan woman holding a child as she sits with other children on a pile of trash and debris

Dispatches From Afghanistan: 'The Humiliation I Experienced Just to Escape the Taliban'

Get trampled or crawl through sewage? An Afghan woman describes the "humiliating" conditions fleeing Afghans faced while trying to escape Afghanistan after the Taliban took over.

by Zahra NaderSep 13, 2021

This story was published in partnership with Rukhshana Media and The Fuller Project.

Dispatches From Afghanistan: 'The Day the Taliban Reached Kabul, it Turned into a Ghost City'

Afghan journalist Maryam Nabavi describes feelings of hope and despair after Kabul fell to the Taliban.

by Maryam NabaviSep 13, 2021

This story was published in partnership with Rukhshana Media and The Fuller Project.

Two children walking on a street in Afghanistan

Dispatches From Afghanistan: 'The Taliban’s Return Was the Death of Dreams'

After two weeks of living under Taliban control, a youth activist decides it’s time to for her to leave Afghanistan. “This is not what our people deserve,” says Hosnia Mohseni, 30.

by Hosnia MohseniSep 13, 2021

This story was published in partnership with Rukhshana Media and The Fuller Project.

Dispatches from Afghanistan: 'The Taliban Came and Killed My Spirit!'

A school teacher in central Afghanistan laments the loss of educational opportunities for girls and women since the Taliban took control.

by Zahra NaderSep 13, 2021

This story was published in partnership with Rukhshana Media and The Fuller Project.

An illustration depicting Afghan women and girls

‘I Wish We Had Died Rather Than Live Through That Day’: Dispatches From the Women of Afghanistan

Ordinary Afghan women share firsthand accounts on what life is like in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.

by Zahra NaderSep 8, 2021

This series was published in partnership with Rukhshana Media and The Fuller Project.

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