August 15 - Taliban’s Independence Day Celebration, But the Beginning of a Dark Era for Women and Girls in Afghanistan

Photo: AFP via Daily Sabah

While the Taliban refer to the fourth anniversary of their return to power as "Independence Day", this day is a reminder of the beginning of a dark chapter, filled with restrictions and repression, for Afghan women and girls.

Four years ago, on August 15, 2021, Kabul fell and the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan collapsed completely. The Taliban entered the Presidential Palace and announced the beginning of a new phase of their rule, a rule that, according to many women, has been accompanied by "forced confinement at home, education bans, forced marriages, and systematic oppression".

Women and girls under Taliban rule call August 15 a day of mourning and the start of a dark era in Afghanistan’s history.

Mursal, a 22-year-old girl from Nimroz, says that August 15 is nothing but a "black date" for her. Before the return of the Taliban, she was a law student at a private university, but now she is confined at home and hopeless about her future.

"My dreams collapsed in a single day. I was deprived of university, lost my job, and I am even deprived of the right to go outside without a male guardian. This date is a day of mourning for us, not a day of celebration."

Forced Marriages: The Stolen Life Dream of Afghan Girls

During the four years of Taliban rule, a number of girls in various provinces of the country have been forced into marriage.

Sharifa, a 19-year-old girl from Ghor province, told a Zan News reporter:

"They threatened my father that if he did not give his daughter to one of their members, there would be serious consequences. I had no right to decide about my life. Today I live with a man I never imagined… I never even thought I would face a Talib, let alone sleep in the same bed with him at night."

Closed School Doors and a Lost Generation

Since December 2022, the doors of schools and universities have been closed to girls. Thousands of girls who dreamed of education and participating in society are now trapped behind the walls of their homes like prisoners, filled with sorrow and longing.

Malalai, a former teacher at a girls’ school in Farah city, told Zan News:

"We are witnessing a lost generation. This is an injustice that history will not forget. Girls who were supposed to be the builders of the future are now imprisoned within the high walls of their homes."

Silent and Resilient Struggles of Girls Under the Taliban Flag

Despite severe repression, Afghan women have not surrendered. Scattered protests, online campaigns, and the voices of protesters abroad reflect a silent but resilient struggle in defense of the rights of women and girls.

One female activist from Ghazni province, who wished to remain anonymous for security reasons, told Zan News:

"We may not be on the streets or in the public eye, but our voices have not been silenced. History will judge, and one day we will raise the three-colored flag once again. We stand in solidarity with the voices of Afghan women abroad. Truth has always prevailed and always will."

End of the Report, but the Beginning of a Cry

For the Taliban, August 15 may be a day of victory, but for millions of Afghan women and girls, this day symbolizes the beginning of devastation.

Four years have passed since the Taliban regained power in Afghanistan, yet each day the space for women and girls has grown narrower, with millions of them sinking deeper every day into the darkness of the Taliban’s misogynistic decrees.