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Sent to Zan TV In response to the Taliban’s new order making the wearing of the burqa mandatory for women, the Afghanistan Women’s History Transformation Movement held a protest in Kabul, during which participants set burqas on fire. In a statement, the movement described the Taliban’s decision as “an inhumane decree and a tool of domination aimed at erasing women from society,” adding: “No religious or moral authority can justify coercion, repression, and violence against women. The Taliban are using religion as a means to impose control and eliminate half of society.” The statement further said that forcing women to wear the burqa constitutes a blatant violation of fundamental human rights and a clear example of “systematic misogyny.” The movement called on the United Nations, the Human Rights Council, and governments supporting gender equality to formally condemn the Taliban’s decree, apply political and legal pressure on the group, and take practical steps to support Afghan women. This protest followed the Taliban’s recent move in Herat province, where the group has made wearing the burqa compulsory for women. According to the new order, taxi drivers are prohibited from picking up women not wearing a burqa, and women without a burqa are banned from entering hospitals and health centres. Local sources in Herat say female teachers have also been forced to wear the burqa. The decree, which came into effect on Wednesday, has severely disrupted women’s daily lives. According to reports, access to healthcare for women has decreased, and some have been denied treatment for not wearing the burqa.

Photo: AFP As the forced deportation of Afghan migrants from Iran and Pakistan continues, Bakhtar News Agency, the Taliban-controlled outlet, has reported that on yesterday (November 7), a total of 1,809 Afghan families returned to the country. According to the report, these families entered Afghanistan through the Pul-e-Abreshm in Nimroz, Islam Qala in Herat, Spin Boldak in Kandahar, Torkham in Nangarhar, and Bahramcha in Helmand. Two days earlier, nearly 2,000 other families had also returned, a trend that continues to rise daily. Earlier, both Iran and Pakistan announced plans to deport hundreds of thousands of Afghan migrants by the end of this year; a decision that international organisations have described as a violation of human rights law and the principle of non-refoulement. UN experts have warned that returnees, particularly journalists, women’s rights activists, and former military personnel, face risks of arrest, torture, and Taliban retaliation upon return. Women and girls, already deprived of education, work, and public participation under the “gender apartheid,” face further poverty, insecurity, and psychological harm upon forced return. Amid ongoing poverty and repression inside Afghanistan, the mass return of thousands of families, especially women and children paints a grim new picture of a deepening humanitarian catastrophe.

Photo: Wakil Koahsar/AFP In Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, even medical treatment has become forbidden for women who do not wear the chadari or burqa. In the latest incident, on Wednesday (5 November), the Taliban in Herat prevented women and girls without burqas from entering the province’s central hospital. The move once again demonstrates that the Taliban have not only shut women out of social and educational life but are now closing the doors of hospitals to them as well. Jan-Gul, a woman who had come to the hospital for her daughter-in-law’s delivery, told Zan News: “My daughter-in-law was due to give birth and was bleeding heavily. I told the Taliban that if she wasn’t allowed to go inside, she would die. One of them said, ‘Not wearing the hijab is death itself; dying is better than being without it.’ I cried and begged, but it was no use.” This painful account reveals the true face of the cruelty and inhumanity behind the Taliban’s so-called “Islamic law”; policies that, in reality, sacrifice women’s lives to a narrow and oppressive interpretation of religion. Suraya, another girl from Herat, who sought treatment at the hospital’s neurology department, said she waited for hours outside the gate of Herat Regional Hospital hoping to be allowed in, but eventually had to return home in despair. “In the Taliban’s culture, a woman is seen as an unnecessary and imprisoned being. I was ill, but they did not allow me to see a doctor. The constant pressure and humiliation have broken me mentally, and now I cannot even go to a doctor,” she said. These incidents are only part of the long chain of oppression against women in Afghanistan. From banning girls’ education to removing women from government offices, closing university doors, and now denying them the most basic human right, access to medical care; the Taliban appear determined to erase women from social and human existence. In the society the Taliban have built, a woman cannot be a patient, a student, an employee, or even a mother in labour. She must hide, remain silent, and die, lest her very presence disturb the male order of the Taliban.

Photo: aryanasayeed/Instagram Aryana Sayeed, a renowned Afghan artist, has been nominated for the prestigious Hollywood Music in Media Award for her song “We Believe in Hope.” According to Deadline, the song, which was created for the film “Rule Breakers,” competes in the category of Best Original Song – Independent Film. “We Believe in Hope” was composed in collaboration with Jeff Beal and Joan Beal and was inspired by the true story of Afghanistan’s all-girl robotics team. Aryana Sayeed is set to perform the song live at the 16th annual Hollywood Music in Media Awards ceremony in Los Angeles on November 19. The event will also feature performances by major music figures such as Diane Warren, A.R. Rahman, and Kesha. This marks the first time that an Afghan female artist has been listed among the finalists for this international award. The Hollywood Music in Media Awards is one of the most respected art events in the United States, recognising outstanding composers, songwriters, and performers in film, television, and video games. This achievement comes at a time when, inside Afghanistan, the Taliban have banned all musical performances and prohibited women from appearing on stage. Dozens of female artists have been forced to leave the country. Aryana Sayeed, who once performed on Kabul’s grand stages, now represents the voice of Afghan women on one of the world’s biggest music stages; a voice silenced at home but resonating across the world.

Exclusivea Following the powerful earthquake in Samangan and Balkh provinces, women in these regions have expressed deep concern over the lack of healthcare services, shelter, and basic necessities, saying that life after the disaster has become extremely difficult for them. Hamida, a resident of Balkh province, told Zan News about the dire situation she and her family face after the earthquake: “Unfortunately, when the quake struck, all our homes were destroyed, and both I and other members of my family were injured. But there are no doctors or medicine available on time. Our plea is that both the authorities and aid organisations pay attention to healthcare and shelter for us.” This is only part of the tragedy that women in these areas are facing. Exclusive Shafiqa, one of the earthquake-affected women in Khulm district of Balkh province, told Zan News that due to the shortage of female doctors in the region, many injured women and girls are at serious risk. She said: “A large number of women and girls in our area have been injured, but unfortunately there are very few doctors and medicines. Our fear is that many of these women and girls may die, and no one will come to their aid.” Meanwhile, Zulekha, a woman from Samangan province, described to Zan News the unbearable and painful conditions she has been experiencing since the earthquake. She said that she had spent several nights and days without shelter together with her children, and due to the cold weather, her children have fallen ill with seasonal diseases. Zulekha warned: “If serious measures are not taken to provide proper shelter, these illnesses may worsen, and my children could lose their lives.” Exclusive This report reflects only a fraction of the dire situation faced by earthquake-affected women in northern Afghanistan; women who are still waiting for urgent assistance and serious attention from government and aid agencies. As they seek immediate help, they also need sustained support for healthcare, shelter, and other essential needs to rebuild their lives.

Photo: AFP “They do not let us read the Quran. They want to erase us from religion and society.” As part of the Taliban’s ongoing campaign of repression against women, the group’s departments for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice has recently warned women and girls in several provinces not to recite the Quran aloud during religious ceremonies. The move has sparked strong reactions from Afghan women and once again exposed the Taliban’s gender-segregated and deeply misogynistic system. Women in the provinces of Ghor, Ghazni, and Badghis say the Taliban have justified this restriction by claiming that “men who are not mahram might hear their voices,” effectively limiting even worship and Quran recitation for women. According to women’s rights activists, this decision is part of the Taliban’s systematic policy to silence women’s voices in all social and religious spheres. Sama Ebrahimi, a girl from Ghor province, told Zan News: “Right now, reciting the Quran aloud under the Taliban’s rule is considered a crime. My father is a mullah and always tells me to read the Quran, but the Taliban say a woman’s voice is haram. They have forced us to perform even our worship in silence.” Shazia Moradi from Ghazni also described this decision as a direct attack on the religious and human identity of women, saying: “They claim to be Muslims, yet they do not allow us to read the Quran. Little by little, they want to erase us from religion and society; and then accuse us of disbelief.” Marzia Forozan, a religious studies teacher from Badghis, said that the Taliban’s Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice has warned women not to use loudspeakers or raise their voices during religious gatherings. Analysts say this latest order marks another phase in the Taliban’s ongoing project to erase women; a project that began with bans on education, employment, media work, and travel without a male guardian, and has now extended to silencing their voices and symbolic presence. Under Taliban rule, Afghan society has effectively become a single-gender society; schools, universities, government offices, and even mosques now bear an entirely male face. Nazila Mashal, a social affairs expert, said: “By silencing women’s voices in the recitation of the Quran, the Taliban are now seeking to erase women’s spiritual and cultural presence from public life entirely.” Political analysts argue that these policies are rooted not in religion, but in power calculations and social control. By excluding women, the Taliban are building a structure in which decision-making, religious preaching, and the very definition of Islam are monopolised by men loyal to the group; a society with only one voice: the voice of the ruling Taliban.

Photo: Atif Aryan/AFP The Taliban’s Ministry of Public Health has announced that the death toll from the recent earthquake in northern Afghanistan has risen to 27. Sharafat Zaman, spokesperson for the ministry, said in a statement on Tuesday (November 4) that the number of deaths from the northern earthquake has reached 27, while 956 people have been injured. Earlier, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) had reported that 20 people were killed and 945 others injured in the earthquake, including nine in Balkh and eleven in Samangan provinces. According to UNICEF, around 11,000 people experienced very strong shaking, while more than 1.5 million others were exposed to strong tremors. The 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck Khulm district of Balkh province late on Monday night (November 3), with tremors also felt in Samangan, Kabul, Baghlan, Sar-e-Pul, and Kunduz provinces.

Photo: Abdel Majid BZIOUAT/AFP While women in Afghanistan remain deprived of their most basic rights, including education, employment, and sport, a group of Afghan women footballers in exile are writing a new story of resistance and hope. According to Agence France-Presse (AFP), despite being far from homeland, these players continue to fight for their dreams and strive to be the voice of Afghanistan’s silenced women. Manizha Noori, a 22-year-old player and member of the Afghanistan women’s football team in exile, said that when the Taliban returned to power in 2021, “I wanted to die, because I could no longer do what I love.” “I asked myself whether I wanted to stay in a country that bans women from studying and playing sport,” she added. Now living in Australia, Noori scored her team’s first-ever goal during their debut appearance at the FIFA Unites: Women’s Series tournament in Morocco. Despite suffering two defeats against Chad and Tunisia, the Afghan team secured an emphatic 7–0 victory over Libya in their final match; a win many saw as a symbol of comeback and breaking silence. Nilab Mohammadi, a 28-year-old player, told AFP: “Football is not just a game for us; it is a symbol of life and hope. There is no freedom for women in Afghanistan anymore, but now we are the voice of those women who have been silenced.” Mina Ahmadi, aged 20, added: “In Afghanistan they took away our dreams, but when FIFA recognised us, we felt that part of those dreams came alive again. We keep moving forward because football is our way of living.” Earlier, FIFA President Gianni Infantino described the Afghan women’s return to the international stage as “the beginning of a beautiful story,” saying: “These women are writing hope for millions of girls around the world.” The Afghanistan women’s football team, known as Afghan Women United, is composed of Afghan players based in Australia, the United Kingdom, Portugal, and Italy, and operates under the direct supervision of the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA). The team is coached by Pauline Hamill, a former player for Scotland’s national team.

Photo: AP Photo/Sirat Noor The United Nations has said that residents of northern Afghanistan were already suffering from chronic poverty, drought, and a lack of basic services even before the recent earthquake. Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, said in a recent press briefing: “Even before this earthquake, people in the region were struggling with drought, chronic poverty, and limited access to basic services following the return of more than two million migrants.” He added that the United Nations, in coordination with humanitarian agencies, is assessing the damage and organising immediate assistance for those affected. According to him, according to initial reports, the earthquake that struck northern Afghanistan early Monday (November 3) left at least 20 people dead and more than 900 others injured. Haq emphasised that Afghanistan’s humanitarian crisis remains severe and that UN relief programmes face a critical funding shortage. He said that of the US$2.4 billion requested for humanitarian aid, only one-third has been secured, leaving a shortfall of more than US$1.5 billion.

Photo: AFP UN Women in Afghanistan has announced that following Monday night’s earthquake in the north of the country, its teams, along with local partners, have been deployed to affected areas to assess the situation and assist women and girls in need. In a message issued on today (November 4), the organisation said: “We working with local partners after earthquake in northern Afghanistan to assess the urgent needs of women and girls. We are supporting Afghan women humanitarians deploying with initial assessment teams to reach affected women and girls.” The 6.3-magnitude earthquake, which struck Khulm district in Balkh province on Monday night (November 3), has so far left at least 20 people dead and more than 940 others injured in Balkh and Samangan provinces. Hundreds of houses were destroyed in Khulm, Shulgara, and Hazrat Sultan districts, as well as parts of Mazar-e-Sharif and Aybak cities, with women and children among the victims. The disaster occurred only weeks after the deadly earthquake in eastern Afghanistan, which claimed more than 2,000 lives.