In Afghanistan, the future of women has taken a devastating turn following the release of a 114-page manifesto by the Taliban government. The new document codifies severe restrictions on women’s freedoms, tightening the already oppressive rules that have been in place since the Taliban regained control of the country in 2021. These rules not only exclude women from public life but also strip them of their voice and identity, intensifying fears about the future.
Women in Afghanistan are now banned from pursuing education beyond the sixth grade, working in most jobs, and accessing public spaces such as parks, gyms, and salons. Long-distance travel is prohibited unless accompanied by a male relative, and stepping outside without being fully covered is forbidden. The new manifesto adds another layer of repression—women’s voices are no longer permitted to be heard outside their homes. These extreme measures, which codify the Taliban’s previous decrees, have left Afghan women facing an even bleaker reality.
Most of these harsh rules have been gradually implemented over the last three years since the Taliban took power. However, for many Afghan women, this latest manifesto feels like the final blow to any remaining hope for a return to freedom and normalcy. Initially, there had been faint optimism that some of the restrictions, such as the closure of schools and universities for women, might be reversed. But the release of the manifesto has crushed these hopes.
Musarat Faramarz, a 23-year-old woman from Baghlan province in northern Afghanistan, expressed her dismay. “We are going back to the first Taliban regime when women had no rights to even leave their homes,” she said, referring to the period from 1996 to 2001 when the Taliban imposed similarly brutal restrictions. “I thought they had changed, but we are living through those dark times once again.”
Since the Taliban regained control in August 2021, they have systematically rolled back the rights women had fought for, particularly in urban areas where women had made significant strides during the 20-year U.S. presence. Today, Afghanistan has become the most oppressive country for women in the world, and experts note that it is the only nation that completely bars girls from attending high school.
The publication of the manifesto has sparked widespread fear of an impending crackdown by the vice and virtue police, a Taliban force responsible for enforcing the country’s morality laws. Previously, these officers would issue verbal warnings, but the manifesto has granted them additional powers. They can now damage personal property or detain individuals for up to three days if they are caught repeatedly violating these strict laws.
For many Afghan women, the announcement has intensified their already unbearable circumstances. Freshta Nasimi, a 20-year-old living in Badakhshan province, had held onto a small glimmer of hope that the government would allow girls to continue learning through televised lessons. However, earlier this year, authorities in Khost province banned such educational programs, effectively extinguishing that hope.
“The ban in Khost was a signal that the rest of the country could follow suit,” Nasimi said, explaining how her dreams of pursuing education as an engineer were crushed. “Now, I feel trapped at home with no future except to be a housewife and raise children.”
Women’s voices, now considered an intimate part of their being that must remain hidden, cannot be heard in public. This has further complicated their already restricted movements. Taxi drivers and shopkeepers are increasingly reluctant to interact with women out of fear of Taliban retribution. As a result, women like Nasimi have lost not only their freedom but also the ability to pursue even basic daily tasks.
According to analysts, the manifesto represents a calculated effort by the Taliban to institutionalize their version of Islamic law, known as Shariah, across all ministries. The document serves not only to enforce these extreme interpretations but also to erase any lingering influence of Western principles from the U.S.-backed government that ruled Afghanistan before the Taliban’s return.
The Taliban have remained defiant in the face of international pressure, rejecting calls to ease restrictions on women. Taliban spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid defended the laws as a reflection of Islamic teachings, saying, “Afghanistan is an Islamic nation, and Islamic laws are inherently applicable to its society.”
However, human rights groups and the United Nations have condemned the regulations. Roza Otunbayeva, the head of the U.N. mission in Afghanistan, described the new manifesto as “a distressing vision for Afghanistan’s future” and decried the “intolerable restrictions” placed on women.
In addition to the restrictions on movement and employment, the erasure of women from public spaces has been gradual but relentless. Women’s faces have been systematically removed from billboards and murals, while mannequins dressed in abayas have their heads wrapped in foil.
Despite these crushing limitations, some women and girls are finding ways to resist. In secret, underground schools have been established, often consisting of no more than a tutor and a small group of students gathering in private homes. Others have turned to online classes, though the unstable internet makes studying a constant challenge.
Mohadisa Hasani, 18, began her studies again about a year after the Taliban seized power. She now learns physics and chemistry from friends who were evacuated to the United States and Canada. Through weekly lessons over video calls, she has kept her dream of education alive.
“Many of my friends have found creative ways to cope,” Hasani said. “They are painting, writing, and even doing taekwondo classes in secret. Our depression is always there, but we have to be brave.”
Yet, while these efforts provide a glimmer of hope, they cannot fully compensate for the deep losses women have suffered. For women like Rahmani, a 43-year-old widow, the impact has been devastating. Once a proud provider for her family, Rahmani lost her job when women were banned from working in nonprofits. Now, she struggles to provide for her four children and is left with an overwhelming sense of despair.
“I miss the days when I had a purpose, when I could work and earn a living,” she said. “Now, it’s like they have erased our existence from society.”
Afghan women have been pushed to the margins of society by a government determined to impose its extreme interpretation of Islamic law. With each new decree, their dreams and freedoms fade further away. Despite small acts of resistance, the Taliban’s grip on women’s lives is tightening, leaving many to fear a future devoid of opportunity, hope, or identity.