No area of women's lives is safe from the Taliban restrictions
Originally published on Global Voices
Women in Afghanistan. Screenshot from the video ‘Women’s rights being rolled back in Afghanistan – BBC News’ on the BBC News YouTube channel. Fair use.
This article was written by Arezo in 2025. It is being published with her consent as part of a special coverage series that tells the stories of young women and girls from Afghanistan following the Taliban takeover in August 2021.
Since the occupation of Afghanistan in August 2021, the Taliban has been actively violating people’s human rights and dismantling the structures that protect them. This is especially true for women and girls, as the Taliban has imposed strict laws that have practically destroyed their basic rights and freedoms.
Among these laws was the closure of schools, universities, and educational centers for women and girls. Another is the ban on women working in the government and private sectors. This removal of women from the economic and public sphere is one of the greatest injustices and oppressions that have been committed against Afghan women.
Despite initial assurances in 2021 that they would “protect women’s rights,” the Taliban have only issued laws that have deprived women of their human and social rights. They have effectively turned Afghanistan into a prison for women.
From the mandatory hijab to the ban on women leaving the house without a mahram (a male guardian), all these laws have been deliberately imposed to restrict women’s movement and confine them to their homes. Today, women and girls are rarely seen in public or social spaces.
In general, the Taliban laws are trying to deprive Afghan women of any rights and opportunities for growth and development.
Life as a businesswoman
Amid such circumstances, I, as an Afghan woman who has lived and worked in such a closed and risky environment, decided to become a businesswoman in Afghanistan.
In 2023, I started my business in the detergent and plastic sectors and created jobs for six women and eight men.
From the very beginning, I faced many obstacles and problems.
When I visited government and private departments to register and complete my work, I faced strange looks and intrusive, unnecessary questions. When I went to stores to see the market and satisfy customers, they looked at me with contempt and reproach.
But I never gave up, and despite these obstacles, I continued to fight gender discrimination.
Every day, I went to work with fear and concern. At any moment, the Taliban forces could enter the office and ask me endless questions about my hijab or other things.
When I was running my office, they would ask me to fire all the female employees and let the men continue to work. Even when I tried to appease them by providing separate areas for women and men, they would still make excuses to restrict the presence of women.
After a while, I was arrested and transferred to the serious crimes department. I was detained for a long time and was shown no respect as a human being, a woman, or a businesswoman.
The only reason I was there was to try to earn a living and create jobs for others.
When I was finally released on the guarantee of my family, I felt a deep sense of disrespect and humiliation that I will never forget.
Endless restrictions and a loss of hope
Life under the Taliban rule means endless restrictions for Afghan women, especially for those who dream of being independent and active. In this era, we do not see any bright future.
Education, work, free movement, and even the right to choose our clothes are all severely restricted.
The future of Afghanistan is getting darker day by day — especially for women.
Life under Taliban rule is nothing but pain, suffering, and restrictions.
For Afghan women, it is like a social quarantine, where not only personal freedom but even hope for a better tomorrow has been taken away from us.