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Photo: Getty Images/BBC The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), in its latest report, says the Taliban have instructed health facilities not to treat women who are unaccompanied by a male guardian (mahram). UNAMA released its quarterly report on the human rights situation in Afghanistan on Tuesday (28 October). According to the report, Taliban agents from the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice regularly visit medical facilities across the country to check whether “gender segregation, hijab compliance, and the presence of a mahram” are being observed for female patients and female health workers. UNAMA said that in the provinces of Uruzgan, Kandahar, and Paktika, the Taliban have ordered hospitals and health centres to refuse treatment to women without a mahram. In Kandahar, officials from the Taliban’s virtue and vice department instructed the provincial health directorate to ensure that all health facilities allow female staff to work only if accompanied by a mahram who must remain with them throughout their working hours. Taliban vice and virtue agents in Kandahar have also warned dental clinics that male doctors are not allowed to treat female patients and that if they wish to provide services for women, they must hire female doctors; even though the Taliban have banned women from studying medicine and dentistry.

Social Media The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), in its latest quarterly report on the human rights situation in the country, has said that over the past three months, more than 240 people have been flogged in public by the Taliban on various charges. According to the report, released on Tuesday (28 October), between 1 July and the end of September this year, at least 242 people, including 48 women and two teenage girls, were flogged in public. UNAMA said Taliban courts convicted these individuals on charges such as “running away from home,” “telephone contact with a non-mahram man,” “theft,” “adultery,” and “murder.” The report also noted that in August, in the city of Herat, Taliban police displayed the body of a man they had killed in public at the Kandahar Gate area. According to UNAMA, the body was first paraded through the city on a Police vehicle and then hung from the barrel of an old tank. The motive and reason for the killing remain unclear. Since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, the group has systematically used corporal punishments, including flogging, as a tool to instil fear and suppress the population. The United Nations has described these punishments as a grave violation of human rights and has called on the Taliban to immediately end such practices.

Source: igamingexpress.com According to Dutch media reports, the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) of the Netherlands has rejected the asylum applications of two Afghan women, stating that they can live under Taliban rule. One of the women is 79 years old. The Hague court had rejected her deportation in August, but the immigration authorities have maintained their position, and her case is now in the appeals process. The second woman, aged 59, currently works in the Netherlands and is socially active, yet Dutch officials have argued that she does not face a specific threat. Regarding one of the women, the IND stated: “Before leaving Afghanistan, she mostly stayed at home, so she can live in Afghanistan again.” This decision comes despite the fact that the Dutch government, along with Germany, Canada, and Austria, filed a formal complaint against the Taliban at the International Court of Justice in The Hague last year, describing the group’s policies against women as a “clear violation of human rights.” The Netherlands had called the isolation imposed on Afghan women and girls “heartbreaking.” Human rights defenders have strongly criticised the Dutch government’s decision, calling it deeply inconsistent with the country’s stated position. They argue that returning Afghan women at a time when education, employment, travel, and even healthcare are banned for women in Afghanistan constitutes a violation of the fundamental international legal principle of non-refoulement; the prohibition against returning individuals to danger.

Photo: AFP The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), in its latest quarterly report, says that the Taliban’s Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice has expanded the enforcement of its restrictive decrees to an unprecedented level in recent months, severely affecting the daily lives of Afghan women and girls. According to the report, released on Tuesday (28 October), agents from the ministry have launched campaigns in Kabul and Herat to compel women to observe the “mandatory hijab,” using threats, arbitrary arrests, and coercion to impose the rule. UNAMA reports that between 16 and 19 July, more than 60 women and girls were arrested in Kabul on charges of “violating the hijab decree.” They were released only after their male relatives signed written guarantees. In Herat, between 15 and 19 September, Taliban vice and virtue officers set up checkpoints in the Jebrael area to inspect women’s hijab. A week later, they detained a group of women for not wearing the chador and released them only after their relatives brought them one. Alongside the enforcement of compulsory hijab, the requirement for women to be accompanied by a male guardian (mahram) has become a major barrier to their access to social services and freedom of movement. UNAMA reported that Taliban forces in Farah, Uruzgan, and Kandahar provinces have prevented women from shopping in markets without a mahram. In one case in Kandahar, a bus driver and a travel agency employee refused to sell tickets to two women travelling without a male guardian, saying they had been ordered by the vice and virtue department not to provide transport services to women travelling alone. Since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, compulsory hijab and the mahram requirement have become key tools of control over women and girls in Afghanistan. The policy of enforcing a male escort, based on the Taliban’s strict interpretation of Sharia, has effectively excluded unmarried, widowed, and unaccompanied women from movement and public life.

Wakil Kohsar/AFP The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), in its latest quarterly report on the human rights situation in the country, has reported an escalation of restrictions imposed on women by the Taliban. According to the report, released on Tuesday (28 October), Taliban forces have been stationed at the entrances of UN offices in Kabul and other provinces since 7 September 2025 to prevent women from entering. UNAMA stated that as a result, female staff members have been forced to work from home. The mission stressed that this move enforces the Taliban’s directive of 5 April 2023, which bans Afghan women from working for UN offices. UNAMA also reported an increase in educational restrictions on girls and women, noting that in recent months the Taliban have closed down even religious schools, which had been the only remaining spaces for girls’ education. According to the mission, in August, Taliban agents from the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice in Kabul shut down three girls’ religious schools for teaching what they described as “modern secular subjects” such as mathematics, physics, and chemistry. In Badakhshan and Paktika provinces, the Taliban have also ordered that girls above the ages of 10 or 13 are no longer permitted to attend religious schools.

Image :AFP The United Nations has announced that Nila Ibrahimi, a teenage Afghan advocate for girls’ education, has been selected among its 17 Young Leaders for the Sustainable Development Goals for 2025. According to the UN Youth Office, the 17 individuals were chosen from more than 33,000 applications submitted from 150 countries. The selected leaders, aged between 16 and 33, include founders of organisations, peacebuilders, social mobilisers, entrepreneurs, and creative innovators who are making an impact in key areas such as gender equality, climate change, human rights, and global peace. Felipe Paullier, the UN Assistant Secretary-General for Youth Affairs, said: “The 2025 Young Leaders represent the courage, creativity, and commitment of young people driving real change across the world. They are not only responding to today’s global challenges but also actively shaping the future.” Nila Ebrahimi, who currently lives in Canada, is a prominent voice for Afghan girls’ education. She serves as the head of Her Story Organization and last year received the International Children’s Peace Prize from the KidsRights Foundation.

Image :EFE/EPA/Samiullah Popal Girls: “In the past, the Taliban called America their enemy, but now they see women and girls as their enemies.” More than four years after the Taliban’s return to power, girls in Afghanistan have not only been deprived of the right to education but are now also banned from entering libraries; places that until recently were their only refuge of peace and hope. Girls told Zan News that the Taliban have closed the doors of public libraries to them, reserving these spaces exclusively for men. They emphasised that this new decision by the Taliban has severed their last remaining connection to knowledge and learning. Salima, a resident of Ghor province, said in a choked voice: “In the past, the Taliban used to say that America was their enemy, but now they see women and girls as their enemies. If not, why have they imprisoned us? We used to go to the library with men and read books together, but now we cannot even pass through the library gate.” Fahima Yousufi, a young woman from Kabul, spoke about the psychological pressure caused by this ban: “We cannot even read books anymore. The Taliban have taken away the libraries from us too. There is no way left to calm our minds and hearts. We are on the verge of losing our sanity.” In the northern provinces, the situation is no different. Maryama, a resident of Balkh province, said with distress: “The Taliban allow only men to study in public libraries. They have deprived us of the most basic human right, the right to read and to know.” At a time when Afghan girls are already deprived of education, employment, and social participation, closing library doors to them marks the Taliban’s latest assault on knowledge and enlightenment. Analysts say that with such decisions, the Taliban not only violate women’s rights but also push the cultural and intellectual future of an entire generation into darkness. Aqela Kamali, a girl from Kabul, said at the end of interview, her eyes filled with tears: “If reading books is a crime, then we are all criminals, because the dream of learning is still alive in our hearts.”

Photo: AFP/Getty Images UN Women, in its latest report, says Afghanistan under Taliban rule is witnessing a “deliberate and unprecedented attack” on the rights, freedoms, and dignity of women and girls. The Afghanistan Gender Index 2024, released on Sunday (October 26), states that around eight out of every ten young Afghan women are deprived of education, employment, and skills training; a rate nearly four times higher than that of men. According to the organisation, Afghanistan now has the world’s second-widest gender gap since the Taliban’s return to power, with a 76 percent disparity between women and men in education, health, decision-making, and financial participation. UN Women warns that Afghan women have been excluded from nearly every sphere of public life, a situation that has pushed the country significantly away from global standards of human development. The report adds that Afghanistan’s development “will continue to decline unless all people, especially women, are empowered to grow and participate.” Prepared with financial support from the European Union, the Afghanistan Gender Index 2024 assesses the status of women in five key areas: life and health, education and skills development, work and financial inclusion, participation in decision-making, and freedom from violence. The findings once again depict a bleak picture of women’s conditions in Afghanistan, where after four years of Taliban rule, millions of women and girls remain deprived of education, employment, and free public life, with their prospects for empowerment more restricted than ever before.

Final Part | Girls Who Still Haven’t Let Go of Hope Photo: UNICEF Author: Roina Bakhshi The girls supported one another through studying, and most of them began working as tailors to create a small ray of hope for themselves. Raihan blew out the candles on her eighteenth birthday cake and silently wished for the reopening of schools and the fulfillment of her dreams. Her father looked into Raihan’s hopeful eyes and heard the voice of her heart. “My dear daughter, study at home. Don’t lose hope. Believe in your future. You are your father’s brave girl.” Raihan smiled, spent a few moments with her family, and they enjoyed the cake together. Though standing again in the depths of darkness was deeply anxiety-inducing for Raihan, her books once more became her refuge. She decided not to care about what people said, because people always judge based on their own minds and perspectives. What truly matters is the voice of our own heart. Her father said lovingly, “My beautiful daughter, don’t worry! You must be strong. You will finish school, just keep trying and trust in God, who is very kind.” Raihan replied with a smile, “Yes, Father, you’re right. I will try again to stand tall. Your daughter has a father as courageous as you, and with you by my side, I have no fear.” Her father asked, “My daughter, do you promise?” Raihan smiled again and said, “Yes, I promise… Thank you for being there for me, dear Father.” Raihan had dreamed of being accepted into Kabul University as a journalism student, but sadly, that dream remains unfulfilled. Suddenly, with renewed excitement, she opened the cabinet doors, took out her notebooks and her black and blue pens, and began writing down her memories. Within her words and reflections, it was as if she began to soar. In the afternoons, Hadia would come to Raihan’s house, and the two of them eagerly reviewed their school subjects: math, biology, history, geography, and all the subjects necessary to prepare for the Kankor entrance exam. The next day, Hadia sat on the chair behind Raihan’s brown desk, staring at the green leaves of the trees beside the window. The weather was warm; she opened the window to let the fresh air fill her lungs. “Raihan, what do you think? Will we be able to take the Kankor exam? Will the Taliban allow us to attend university? I honestly don’t believe that the Islamic Emirate or the Taliban will ever let girls be educated.” She fell silent for a moment - then suddenly, her voice cracked, and she broke into tears. Raihan quickly got up, embraced Hadia, kissed her fragrant black hair, wiped her tears, and said, “My dear, we must believe in God and strive for our goals. We will take this exam, and in the end, we will succeed and enter university. We just need to be strong and not lose hope.” Raihan gently comforted Hadia, holding her in her arms, hoping with all her heart that her words would one day come true. In those difficult times, the girls stood by each other, resisted, and never stopped trying; so they could be a source of hope for their generation and continue their path with courage. (To be fully prepared for this exam.) She had been watching the news on TOLO TV for a few minutes when the announcement came: “Female students of grade twelve are allowed to take their final exams and make necessary preparations.” It was the best moment and the most uplifting news Raihan had heard in a long time. Overwhelmed with excitement, she immediately called Hadia. “Did you hear? We can take our twelfth-grade exams, and maybe later even the Kankor exam! It’s a positive step. What do you think?” Hadia was thrilled too. “Thank you, my dear, for the best news! Hahaha, look at you, today you truly gave Hadia a gift! We’ll soon have a mountain of work and preparation ahead of us!” Both girls were overjoyed and determined to do their best in the exam. After a long time, Raihan had a smile on her face. When her parents looked at her, they saw her laughing, and hope shining in her eyes. With kind behavior and a renewed spirit, she reconnected with her family and relatives. When the heart starts beating again and blood flows through the veins, passion and motivation return to the body. This news was a spark of hope for the Kankor exam. In the year 2023, on a partly sunny day, all the twelfth-grade girls returned to school to take their exam. The girls wore black clothing (hijab), and their beautiful faces were hidden behind black masks. When they saw their classmates again after so long, they embraced, kissed, smiled, and wept. How heavy the wait had been, how deeply the heart trembles in the countdown to seeing loved ones again. The exam, much like the Kankor, included all the subjects of grade twelve and was administered across several pages. Raihan and Hadia sat together on the same bench, busy solving the questions. At last, it was over, and they returned home filled with joy and excitement. They shared stories of the exam day with their families, recalling each memory one by one. As the real Kankor exam drew near, Raihan studied hard, determined to succeed and be accepted into her desired field, a profession neither her relatives nor the government approved of for girls. But Raihan was passionate about it and worked tirelessly to reach her goal. She knew that becoming a journalist under Taliban rule was incredibly difficult, yet she believed that one day she would be free and continue this profession, to bring pride and service to her people by sharing news and information through television channels. Hadia, on the other hand, loved economics and was eager to work in that field. Two different dreams, two different paths; both lined with the unique struggles that girls in the country now faced. First, the exam was to be held in the provinces. The girls, like the boys, happily completed the Kankor registration process. It was a moment filled with hope for their future and their dreams. But suddenly, everything changed. The government announced that girls would not be allowed to take the exam. Hearing the news felt like a sudden, crushing blow. It was hard to describe Raihan’s feelings, she had never imagined it would come to this. Her heart flared with pain, her belief shattered, and she cried again and again, as pearl-like tears soaked the hem of her clothes. Everything now felt like a dark galaxy in which Raihan was drowning. She no longer wanted to watch the birds outside her window. Their chirping no longer brought her peace, their fluttering from branch to branch and building of nests no longer fascinated her. Once, strength and kindness were visible in her eyes. But now, she was a girl whose spirit had been scattered in the air. No one could help her, because the government’s decision about the 2023 Kankor exam had already been made. The boys in the country took the exam without the girls and went on to enter the universities. It was a painful day for the girls. Raihan’s heart was more wounded than ever, and she endured a bitter experience that crushed her thoughts. “My dear, you’re destroying yourself… I can’t bear to see you in pain any longer.” “Mom, everything is ending me along with itself.” “My daughter, you’re not the only one… look, girls your age are suffering too. You must become a symbol of hope for them, not lose yourself.” Her hair had fallen messily over her shoulders, her eyebrows were furrowed, and she rested her head on her mother’s knees and drifted off to sleep. About a month later, the results of the boys’ exam were published on social media; a suffocating moment for the girls. Raihan said sorrowfully, “If I had taken the exam too, I would have received my results by now. I’m sure I would have succeeded.” Rahmat’s jokes sometimes lightened her mood. Hadia visited her often. They went to the library together and inhaled deeply the fresh scent of newly printed books. “In the heart of despair and under a dark shadow, we must look for a shining star.” “What if it doesn’t shine?” “No, believe me. When something is placed in your heart, the way to reach it will also be made.” “Raihan, come see this book! It’s by the Turkish author Hakan Mengüç. Look what he wrote!” “Seven principles of life: positive thoughts, love, unconditional faith, forgiveness, helping others, gratitude, and prayer from the heart.” “Yes, it’s so beautiful and precise. Listen to this too!” “The world is a tree of wishes, and that’s why you must give value to your dreams and thoughts.” “Raihan, let’s read more novels like this from now on.” “That’s a great idea. Books are loyal friends. I want to write about my feelings, experiences, memories, unfinished dreams, goals, and the moments I’ve lived.” “Now that’s the strong and brave Raihan I know!” How beautifully Rumi has said: Do not go to the alley of despair - there is hope. Do not go in the direction of darkness - suns exist The two of them picked up books and walked home together. Raihan believed that God would surely heal her heart and give her strength. One day, she would serve her family and her people and always remain a kind-hearted girl. Now Raihan lives in an uncertain future, floating between destiny and suspended dreams. Yes - this story reflects the lives of girls like Raihan, girls who live in Afghanistan today. Girls whose souls are restless but who hide their pain behind a smiling face and continue to live with courage.

Image: Elise Blanchard for The Washington Post Citizens: The Taliban allow us music at weddings in exchange for money While the Taliban have declared music “haram” (forbidden), citizens in several provinces say members of the group issue “religious permits” for playing music at events in exchange for bribes. Noorullah, a resident of Nimroz province who recently held his wedding ceremony, told Zan News that agents from the Taliban’s Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice demanded 45,000 Afghanis from him to allow music to be played at his celebration. He said: “The Taliban told me that if there is music at the ceremony, both the food and the wedding will be haram. But then they said there is one way, if you pay, you get a permit, and your music becomes halal.” This practice is not limited to Nimroz. In Ghor province, Wahid, another resident, said the Taliban demanded 25,000 Afghanis from him to allow four hours of music during his event. Wahid told Zan News: “At first they said music is haram and threatened me not to play it. But later, with a smile, they said if I pay 25,000, it becomes halal. After I gave them the money, they said I was free to play it.” Meanwhile, religious scholars and citizens say the Taliban have turned religion, pressure, and fear into a personal source of income. An independent cleric in Kabul, speaking anonymously to Zan News, said: “The Taliban use religion for their own benefit. When halal and haram are tied to money, it is no longer religion; it is business.” Since returning to power, the Taliban have banned music performances at events, restaurants, and media outlets, detaining or beating dozens of people for playing music. However, widespread complaints from various provinces reveal that what the Taliban call “haram” can easily become “halal” with money; a phenomenon people now refer to as “religious trade.”