
"I like being in my imaginary world I have created for myself. There, I am safe, and I can do whatever I want," said one female student from Takhar province who told USIP she was using synthetic drugs. "You are probably going to laugh at me, but in that world, I am going to graduate next year and become a pilot."
These words sum up the sad fate of millions of Afghan women living under the Taliban regime. The Taliban coming back to power in 2021 saw the rapid deterioration of progress made in the last two decades, especially in women's education. Schools were closed; women were prohibited from attending universities; female teachers were muzzled. Where there used to be hope for a new generation of educated Afghan women, there is now only grief. Since their takeover in 2021, the Taliban have issued at least 70 decrees that have directly impacted the rights of women and other minorities. Taliban first banned girls from secondary schools in March 2022, followed by a ban on attending Universities later in December of the same year. By January 2023, this oppressive grip tightened further, implementing a ban on women taking university entrance exams.
These policies have caused devastating impacts. According to a UN report, by 2026, the effect of leaving 1.1 million girls out of school and over 100,000 women out of university is correlated with an increase in the rate of early childbearing by 45 percent and an increased risk of maternal mortality by at least 50 percent. These policies are not only intrusive and oppressive in that they keep women out of school; they actively wipe out their futures.
Education is one of the key factors on the basis of which any nation must build its future. Afghanistan, by denying education to half its population, is inviting the country to get into a deeper crisis of poverty, inequality, and stagnancy. Taliban's annihilationist measures are casting Afghanistan back into the abyss where women are not considered human beings.
Yet despite these restrictions, the resilience of Afghan women is undeniable. There are underground schools that are being operated by exiled women's rights activists. In such horrible times, these schools provide women with education. One such example is the Pohana Fund, an NGO founded by Wazhma Tokhi, an exiled Afghan education campaigner. The Pohana Fund employs teachers and pays their salaries. It also provides textbooks for students. Mostly, the schools operate inside homes. The organization has recently expanded its network to the southeastern regions of the country. There are many other activists like Tokhi who fund these organizations and try their best to ensure women are not left without education.
Women across Afghanistan are determined to resist beyond borders through social media and international platforms. With Taliban efforts to muzzle them, Afghan women are using technology to remain connected, exchange information and raise awareness about the atrocities they endure. Activists, international NGOs, and governments have come forward in support of their cause, though much more needs to be done.
The Afghans in exile advocate for their country and help people back home in any way possible. This goes on to prove that no matter what the Taliban have put the community through, it still is not enough to silence them. These women have become symbols to the citizens of their nation.
In hardships like these, the determination of Afghan women continues to echo. This fight for education is far from over.
The efforts of Afghan women to resist through education are reminiscent of other historical examples, such as during the Iranian Revolution when women found ways to educate themselves under strict government control. Today, Afghan women are also utilizing encrypted apps and VPNs to connect with the outside world, spread awareness, and access educational resources despite the restrictions. This underscores the growing importance of digital literacy and technology in empowering women in oppressed regions. International organizations like the Malala Fund and the United Nations have also been pushing for more support and policy change to help these underground educational efforts thrive.
This blog touched me deeply with its portrayal of the immense struggle Afghan women face under the Taliban regime, especially hen it comes to education. The heartbreaking account of the young girl who retreats into her imaginary world speaks volumes about te lost dreams and aspirations of countless women who have been stripped of their basic rights. What struck me most is the courage and resilience these women continue to show despite the brutal conditions they live under.
The blog does a great job of illustrating how the Talibn's oppressive olicies are not just restricting education—they are systematically destroying the futures of Afghan women, increasing the risk f poverty, maternal mortality, and social stagnation. Yet, amidst this darkness, the resilience…
This blog powerfully illustrates the grim reality faced by Afghan women under Taliban rule - specifically regarding education and the collapse of it following the Taliban seizure of power. The swift reversal of progress, with schools and universities closed to women, paints a tragic picture, with its consequences—early childbearing, maternal mortality, and a lost future—undeniably staggering; this is, of course, painfully captured in the reality of the female student from Takhar. Yet, the resilience of Afghan women shines through as underground schools, supported by activists like Wazhma Tokhi, continue to educate women despite the Taliban’s efforts. These women’s courage, coupled with the support of NGOs, definitely offers hope in a dark time.
However, as Afghan women use social media to…
The quote perfectly hinges the audience to the cause and delving deep into it, exposes bitter truths regarding the struggles Afghan women face under the Taliban regime, especially regarding education. The thin line which Afghan women have to endure in order to access education and drastic consequences they have to face under the oppressive policies makes the living unbearable. Education is the glimmer of hope for them, as the general perspective that it promises a future is still alive and works well with the notion of hope and cope. The figures you mentioned about the rise in early childbearing and maternal mortality are particularly alarming. This provides a depth into the findings and constructs the argument in a commendable manner.…
The devastating impact of the Taliban’s oppressive policies on Afghan women’s education is evident, while simultaneously highlighting their resilience and determination in the face of these injustices. One of the most striking aspects is the way Afghan women have continued to resist the Taliban’s regime, particularly through underground schools and online activism. Despite the systemic barriers that aim to eradicate their futures, these women have found ways to subvert the regime’s restrictions, demonstrating that their quest for education and equality is far from extinguished.
However, the article also paints a grim picture of the long-term implications of denying education to Afghan women. The statistics mentioned—such as the projected increase in early childbearing and maternal mortality—underscore how the absence of education…