Photo: Etilaatroz Local sources in Herat city told the media that Taliban morality police raided several private educational centers on Saturday morning (August 30) and forcibly expelled girls from classrooms. According to the sources, these centers were teaching English and religious subjects including the Quran. Witnesses say the Taliban even lashed girls while driving them out of Quran classes. The officials warned the school administrators that women and girls “must not leave their homes.” It is worth noting that since their return to power, the Taliban have banned girls’ education beyond sixth grade. First schools were closed, then universities and medical institutes, and now even religious schools have been made off-limits to girls.

Photo: © Sputnik / Firooz.M The UN Women has stated in a new report that the vast majority of Afghans, despite the Taliban’s ban on girls’ education, continue to support the right of girls to study. The report, published on Friday, August 29, is based on a door-to-door survey of more than two thousand Afghan citizens. Findings show that 92 percent of respondents consider the continuation of girls’ education “important.” Support for girls’ education is widespread in both rural and urban areas. In rural areas, 87 percent of men and 95 percent of women, and in urban areas, 95 percent of both men and women, expressed support for girls’ education. Susan Ferguson, UN Women’s Special Representative in Afghanistan, said: “This is the first thing girls tell us. They are thirsty for education and only want the opportunity to learn.” The report also highlighted the Taliban’s severe restrictions on women’s work in non-governmental organizations, stressing that the ban has deeply affected women’s daily lives. According to a phone survey conducted in July and August 2025, about 97 percent of women said these restrictions have negatively impacted their lives. More than half of aid organizations also reported that the restrictions have reduced their ability to provide vital services to women and girls. UN findings further show that three-quarters of women described their mental health as “bad” or “very bad,” and only 41 percent of women were able to leave their homes once a day, compared to 88 percent of men. Despite these harsh conditions, the report emphasized that 40 percent of Afghan women still remain hopeful for a future where change and equality are possible.

Local sources say Hibatullah Akhundzada, the Taliban’s supreme leader, has issued a new order banning the publishing of women’s photos on both paper and electronic national ID cards (Tazkira). According to the sources, the order was delivered verbally and is currently being implemented only in Kandahar province. The sources added that the restriction may be expanded across Afghanistan in the future. The Taliban have not officially commented on the matter yet. Legal experts say that if the order is enforced nationwide, it could affect women’s access to administrative and legal services. They believe the absence of photos on identity documents may complicate the process of official recognition of women. Since their return to power in August 2021, the Taliban have imposed extensive restrictions on women’s education, employment, and social participation. Human rights organizations have repeatedly criticized these policies, calling them a serious barrier to women’s presence in public life.

Photo: Getty Images via BBC Afrique The Afghanistan Media Support Organization has condemned the Taliban’s action of cutting off the voice of a female journalist during the group’s official press conference. In a statement, the organization stressed that such behavior is a blatant violation of freedom of expression and a clear example of gender discrimination. It added that silencing female journalists is not only an insult to their efforts but also a serious blow to media freedom and the principle of gender equality. The Afghanistan Media Support Organization called on the international community and global institutions to use diplomatic and media pressure to force the Taliban to respect the presence of women in the field of journalism. The organization also declared that it will stand alongside courageous women working in the media and continue to fight for fair access to information. This stance comes after Taliban-controlled National Radio and Television muted the voice of a female journalist while she was asking a question to Zabihullah Mujahid, the group’s spokesperson.

Social Media Local sources in Khost province say a school student has committed suicide in Tani district of the province. The incident occurred around noon on Wednesday (August 27) in Roshani village of Tani district. According to sources, the teenager, named Kosar, was about 15 years old. The reason for the suicide is not yet known. In recent months, several cases of suicide among youth and teenagers have been reported in Khost province. This comes as cases of suicide and mysterious killings have increased in many provinces of the country since the Taliban’s return to power.

Photo: Kunar Police (Courtesy Photo) Following fresh airstrikes attributed to Pakistan on Afghanistan’s border regions, at least three children have been killed and several men and women civilians injured. According to local sources, the strikes took place around midnight on Wednesday, August 27, carried out by drones targeting residential areas in Khost and Nangarhar provinces. In Khost, local sources said a drone targeted several civilian homes in the Surkakh Lahori area of Spera district. They reported that two children were killed and six others, including men and women, were injured. However, Khorasan Diary reported that the house of a local resident named Haji Naeem Khan was targeted, killing three children of the family and injuring at least three others, including a woman and two men. In Nangarhar, Taliban officials confirmed that a Pakistani drone targeted a house in the 28 Wiala area of Shinwari district. In this attack, three children and a woman were injured. The Taliban governor’s office in Nangarhar said the targeted family had no ties to armed groups. At the same time, local sources in Khost said the Taliban did not allow media coverage of the incident, and journalists have complained of heavy censorship. The Pakistani military has not yet commented on the strikes. It is worth noting that last year the Pakistani military also carried out multiple airstrikes in Khost, Paktia, and Paktika provinces, claiming to target fighters of Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

Sent to Zan TV Members of the Powerful Women’s Movement of Afghanistan on Wednesday (August 27) once again staged a protest against gender apartheid in Afghanistan. The protesters condemned the Taliban’s widespread restrictions on women and girls, stressing that silence in the face of such “oppression” amounts to acceptance. In the movement’s statement, it was emphasized that Afghan women and girls make up half of society and that their role in the country’s development, culture, and progress is undeniable. They declared: “No power can marginalize Afghan women forever or silence their voices.” Members of the movement called for the immediate end of all discrimination and restrictions against women and girls, the guarantee of their right to education and work, equal participation in society and decision-making, and respect for their human rights. This protest comes as the Taliban, over the past four years, have imposed severe restrictions on women’s education, employment, and social presence. The United Nations and human rights organizations have described these policies as “gender apartheid” and a blatant violation of fundamental human rights. Despite widespread international condemnation, the Taliban continue to insist on maintaining these restrictions.

Photo: @Zabehulah_M33 on X Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesperson for the Taliban, in a press conference in Kabul, in response to a question about the inclusion of girls’ education beyond sixth grade in the group’s “National Development Strategy,” described it as “a minor issue.” This is while the Taliban, over the past four years, have banned girls from attending school beyond sixth grade and blocked their access to universities and even medical training. The United Nations and human rights organizations have described these policies as “gender apartheid” and a blatant violation of fundamental human rights. Experts believe that depriving millions of girls of education has wide-ranging consequences for the future of Afghanistan, from increasing poverty and forced marriages to a severe shortage of skilled professionals and the deepening of extremism. Despite international condemnation, the Taliban continue to insist on these restrictions. Analysts say the inaction of the international community has paved the way for the continuation of this destructive crisis.

Social Media Local sources in Nuristan say that in Sherodmi village of DowAb district, a man has shot and killed the parents of his wife. The incident took place on Monday evening (August 25) after the man’s wife had gone to her parents’ house due to family disputes, and her family prevented her from returning to her husband’s home. According to sources, following an argument between the son-in-law and his wife’s family, the man killed his wife’s father and mother. The main motive behind the incident has been reported as family disputes. Taliban local authorities in Nuristan have so far not commented on the matter. This comes as similar cases of family-related killings have recently been reported in different parts of Afghanistan.

Social Media The Taliban have flogged seven individuals, including three women, in Ghor province. The Taliban’s Supreme Court said in a statement on Wednesday (August 27) that the individuals were flogged in Saghar district on charges of “extramarital relations and running away from home.” According to the Taliban, they were sentenced to six months to two years in prison and 30 to 39 lashes. This comes as Taliban’s desert trials continue despite widespread domestic and international condemnation. Human rights organizations have repeatedly warned that punishments such as flogging and public executions violate human dignity and contravene international human rights commitments.