8am: Several female bakers in Kabul say the Taliban have recently shut down their bakeries without prior warning and prevented them from continuing their work. They add that the Taliban halted their operations under accusations of employing male co-workers, failure of some customers to observe hijab, and visits by men. These women emphasize that they
Afghanistan International: Dozens of Afghan women’s civil society organisations have demanded that international bodies launch legal proceedings against Cheryl Benard, wife of former US special representative Zalmay Khalilzad, for comments they say downplayed the Taliban’s gender-based repression. Benard, an author and researcher, recently asserted that Afghan women have not been excluded from society, continue to
Amu: Taliban have shut down at least 11 health science institutes in Kabul for providing training to women and girls, according to several sources familiar with the matter. The closures were ordered by the Taliban-run Ministry of Public Health, the sources said, and targeted institutes that offered basic medical and first-aid education to female students.
By RFE/RL’s Radio Azadi and Kian Sharifi May 21, 2025 Afghan female athletes who fled to Pakistan to escape Taliban restrictions are facing a slew of problems, including poverty, a lack of training facilities, and uncertainty about their immigration status. After the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan in August 2021, women and girls were
8am: Women and girls in Afghanistan report a dramatic and unprecedented rise in domestic violence since the Taliban imposed sweeping restrictions and dismantled legal protections and support institutions. Many now say they have no access to the judicial or legal systems and believe this legal vacuum has emboldened perpetrators of violence within families. They argue
Afghanistan International: The team will now be eligible to compete in FIFA-sanctioned competitions. The Afghanistan Women’s Refugee Team (AWRT) will initially operate on a one-year pilot basis, designed to assess the long-term viability of the initiative and lay the groundwork for the potential formation of similar teams representing refugees of other nationalities in future. Click
Amu: A young woman named Abida died after setting herself on fire in Ghor province, following what her family says was a prolonged campaign of coercion by a local Taliban commander who sought to force her into marriage. Speaking to Amu on condition of anonymity due to safety concerns, a close relative said the commander—identified
8am: Beauty parlours that are forced to operate covertly say they are worn down by the Taliban’s systematic extortion and blackmail. They explain that they work out of sheer necessity—to earn a piece of bread for themselves and their children—yet Taliban security sectors continually threaten them and demand pay-offs. Click here to read more (external link).
DW: Sadia Bromand fled Afghanistan six years ago. With the Taliban having returned to power, the boxer continues to fight for women’s rights in her homeland – from Germany’s capital. Even before the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021, female boxers were rare and viewed with skepticism by broad sections of the country’s
Khaama: According to a report by The New York Times April 20, the draft order aims to dissolve offices tied to democracy promotion, human rights, immigration, and climate change. The proposed restructuring aligns with the administration’s goal of streamlining foreign policy to match the president’s strategic vision. The document further indicates that positions related to