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Photo Credit: Reuters The European Union and Uzbekistan have expressed concern over the situation of women and girls in Afghanistan during their recent Cooperation Council meeting in Luxembourg. At the 18th meeting of the EU–Uzbekistan Cooperation Council, held on 21 October in Luxembourg, both sides stressed the need to strengthen political and economic cooperation and described “the humanitarian and human rights situation in Afghanistan, particularly the conditions of women and girls,” as alarming. According to the official statement of the Council of the European Union, the two parties emphasised the importance of regional stability, countering terrorism, and upholding human rights. The European Union also commended Uzbekistan’s efforts in implementing human rights reforms, including combating forced labour and promoting gender equality. These concerns come as Afghan women have been systematically deprived of education, employment, and public participation since the Taliban’s return to power. Over the past four years, millions of Afghan women and girls have faced severe restrictions, enforced exclusion, and structural oppression; a situation that human rights organisations have described as a form of “gender apartheid.”

Image: unognewsroom Richard Bennett, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, has condemned the recent execution in Badghis province, saying that the Taliban are using public executions as a tool to intimidate the population and enforce social control. In a statement, Bennett said: “Public executions and other cruel punishments are not only a horrific form of violence but a deliberate means of instilling fear and suppressing society. These acts must be unequivocally condemned.” Referring to the absence of justice and judicial independence under the Taliban, he added: “The use of the death penalty is concerning in any country, but in Afghanistan, where there is no fair trial, it is even more alarming.” Bennett stressed that “the death penalty is a cruel, inhuman, and degrading punishment; it is often applied unjustly, irreversible in nature, and fails to serve as an effective deterrent against crime.” He said that last week’s public execution was another example of Taliban violence aimed at spreading fear and maintaining control. He called for the immediate suspension of all executions and urged the Taliban to begin the process of abolishing the death penalty entirely. This comes after the Taliban’s Supreme Court publicly executed a man convicted of murder on October 16 at a stadium in Badghis province. According to reports, since the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021, at least eleven people have been executed in public.

Image: AP Human Rights Watch has said that since the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan, they have carried out an unprecedented crackdown on press freedom and have nearly eliminated women’s presence in the media. In a report released on Thursday (October 23), the organisation stated that over the past four years, media outlets in Afghanistan have operated under strict censorship and surveillance by Taliban intelligence, while local officials of the group have arbitrarily enforced rules that have severely restricted the media environment. According to the report, “media outlets have reported that agents from the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice make repeated visits to monitor compliance with regulations, especially the segregation of workplaces for men and women and ensuring that women wear the hijab.” Human Rights Watch stressed that these restrictions have led to a dramatic decline in the number of female journalists, with many provinces now having no women working in the media at all. Female reporters said that when working outside urban areas, they are required to travel with a male guardian and are not allowed to interview Taliban officials. Fereshta Abbasi, Afghanistan researcher at Human Rights Watch, said: “While all Afghan journalists have suffered and many have left the country, women journalists have been hit the hardest.” According to the organisation, the Taliban have forced women journalists to comply with their strict dress codes and have severely limited their appearance in television and media programmes. The broadcast of dramas and shows featuring women has also been banned. The report noted that the Taliban review media content before publication and censor anything they believe “undermines morale or public attitudes.” These pressures have driven many journalists to practise self-censorship, restricting their reporting to official and ceremonial events such as award ceremonies, diplomatic meetings, and development projects. A Kabul-based journalist told Human Rights Watch that he had been detained twice for failing to cover government events. Another said that after refusing to attend an official ceremony, he was barred from continuing his reporting. Human Rights Watch also drew attention to the dire situation of Afghan journalists in exile, saying that many of them face the risk of forced deportation from neighbouring countries. The organisation urged host governments to uphold the principle of non-refoulement and to protect Afghan journalists, especially women, from being forcibly returned to Afghanistan. Fereshta Abbasi emphasised: “The Taliban’s escalating crackdown on the media comes at a time when Afghanistan needs free and independent journalism more than ever.” She added: “The United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, and other countries that have pledged to resettle Afghans should expand their support for at-risk Afghan journalists and halt all deportations to Afghanistan.” Human Rights Watch also called for increased resettlement of Afghan refugees from Pakistan to third countries and for stronger support for Afghan media outlets in exile, particularly for women journalists. Since the Taliban’s return to power, they have imposed sweeping restrictions on media and journalists. These measures have forced the closure of numerous outlets and driven hundreds of journalists, especially women, into exile.

Part Two | Silence After the Dream Social Media Author: Roina Bakhshi Raihan’s beautiful heart had become deeply saddened by the events of those days. Everything appeared vague and unclear to her, and she didn’t know what to do. As she was walking home, chatting with Mursal, her heart fluttered like a bird in a cage. Unpleasant whispers reached her heart. People in the cities wandered in fear and sorrow because of the war and violence. Raihan and her friends were worried about their educational future, fearing that they might no longer be allowed to attend school, and that the repressive government would bury their thousands of hopes. — “Goodbye, Mursal. Until we meet again.” — “Have we arrived? No thoughts are left in our minds, lost in uncertain thoughts.” “My daughter, welcome home. Come, I’ll bring you something to eat.” “No, Mom, I have no appetite… I just want to sleep and hide inside a dream.” It was as if this time, her dream had truly turned bitter. Kabul was handed over to the Taliban by the government. Time stopped, and everything suddenly vanished into smoke and air. Raihan sat silently in a corner, staring at the wall without saying a word. It was as if her eyes had lost the ability to blink. A dark era began for her and for other girls. Sleep fled from her hazel eyes; she no longer knew which dream to cling to, or with what motivation to wake up each morning. Raihan wondered how she was supposed to live from now on; how to breathe in this dusty, suffocating air that tormented her heart and eyes, how to comprehend this horror. She had fallen into depression. She no longer enjoyed leisure or laughter. She barely spoke. Her almond-shaped eyes remained fixed on some unknown point, and tears streamed from them like a flood. After the government announced that women and girls must stay at home, banning them from school, university, and work, Raihan and her friends suffered a severe psychological blow. They were mentally and emotionally shattered. They had never imagined such a day would come. Dreams that remained only dreams, and hands that never reached them. When she placed her schoolbooks and supplies in a cabinet so she wouldn't have to look at them anymore, her heart wept blood. Who could have believed she would end up like this one day? Raihan was no longer the same Raihan; she had become weak, withdrawn, and irritable. At home, she often lost her temper, especially with Rahmat, her playful and stubborn companion. Rahmat would constantly tease her with words that, to him, were just harmless jokes: “You’ll never go back to school or university. You have to stay home and do all the housework.” Sometimes, through jokes and without meaning to, we kill people with the bullets of our words. Raihan’s soul‑searing pain and her hands bound in chains had ignited a deep knot within her thoughts. Her social connections with friends and relatives had faded. She carried out household chores but always wanted to stay in her room, lying on her bed. Stress and pressure had consumed her. She spent her time alone, crying and grieving in silence. Every time she listened to the news, she wished everything had changed, but no… it was nothing more than a dream, a fantasy. Some of her friends and classmates had left the country and migrated. Raihan’s family, however, was struggling financially and could not afford to leave. Her family watched her suffering and felt heartbroken. Spiteful relatives would repeatedly say: “No girl can go to school anymore, and there’s no need for them to study anyway. Girls should do housework and get married as soon as possible.” Raihan did not want to marry right now, and she despised such hated remarks. But no one truly understood her or cared to. Her three closest friends were also suffering, perhaps even more than she was. Mursal left the country with her family. Rana got married to her cousin who lived in Badakhshan and moved there. Only Raihan and Hadia remained in Kabul. The pain of separation from her two dearest friends had left Raihan sorrowful. She loved them deeply and missed them immensely. She longed to see Mursal and Rana again, but now, that wish had become impossible; a distant reality. The migration of loved ones breaks the back of resolve and weighs heavily on the heart.

Sent to Zan TV Amid the Taliban’s sweeping restrictions that have severely limited the work of women journalists across Afghanistan, a new radio station called (Nawai Zan) has begun broadcasting in Herat, focusing exclusively on the work of female reporters. The founders of the station say its purpose is to support women journalists, advocate for women’s rights, and highlight news and realities related to women’s lives and challenges in today’s Afghanistan. According to the station’s director, all employees and reporters at the radio are women, and 80 percent of its programmes are educational. Meanwhile, several women who have found employment through the station expressed satisfaction with the opportunity, saying that despite ongoing pressure and threats, they are determined to be the voice of Afghan women; women now living under the Taliban’s control, censorship, and sweeping restrictions. The launch of Nawai Zan is seen as a rare and courageous step towards preserving freedom of expression and continuing the fight for women’s rights at a time when many media outlets have shut down and dozens of women journalists have been forced to stay at home.

Image Source: dailymail Bashir Hotak, a 23-year-old Afghan asylum seeker in the United Kingdom, appeared in court on Tuesday charged with sexual assault and assault against a woman in London. He is accused of attacking and sexually assaulting a woman on 29 June this year at a bar in the West End area of London. According to British media reports, at the time of the incident Hotak was staying at the “Ibis Styles Seven Kings” hotel in east London. He appeared in court accompanied by a Persian-speaking lawyer; however, only a few minutes after the hearing began, the lawyer announced that he could no longer represent him. Reports say that when Hotak was asked to enter a plea to the charges, he broke down in tears, saying: “My English is very weak. I am ill, under medical treatment, and taking a lot of medication.” The judge granted him three weeks to find a new lawyer. The next hearing is scheduled for 10 November. Until then, Hotak remains free on conditional bail, provided that he does not contact the complainant. The judge warned that if these conditions are breached, police will arrest him and his bail status will be reviewed.

Photo: HarrietHarman/X Harriet Harman, the United Kingdom’s Special Envoy for Women and Girls, has said that Afghan women have not surrendered despite the Taliban’s repression and restrictions, and that the UK remains firmly committed to defending their rights. In a message posted on Wednesday (October 22), accompanied by a photo from her previous meeting with Afghan women activists, Harman wrote: “The message from Afghan women is clear: they have not given up – and neither will we. The UK stands firm in demanding their rights, amplifying their voices.” In the photo she shared, several Afghan women activists are seen alongside Harman and Richard Lindsay, the UK’s Special Representative for Afghanistan. Earlier, on 10 October, Richard Lindsay had posted the same photo from the meeting, describing it as “a constructive and important discussion.” He said that Afghan women leaders shared their views on how to support women’s rights, leadership, and participation in Afghanistan’s future. These statements come as Afghan women remain deprived of education, employment, and social participation under Taliban rule. Despite repeated calls from the international community to restore women’s fundamental rights, the Taliban have so far taken no action in this regard.

Photo: WAKIL KOHSAR /AFP UN Women has warned in a new report that women and girls around the world are facing the highest levels of violence and deprivation seen in decades. The report, released on Monday (October 20) to mark the 25th anniversary of UN Security Council Resolution 1325, which highlights the role and participation of women in peace and global security, paints a grim picture of the current state of women’s rights. According to the report, more than 676 million women and girls live within 50 kilometres of active armed conflict zones. Over the past two years, cases of conflict-related sexual violence have increased by 87 percent, while civilian deaths, particularly among women and children, have quadrupled. The United Nations says that by the end of 2024, about 123 million people globally had been forcibly displaced, with more than 60 million of them being women and girls. Many of these women live in unsafe conditions, face a high risk of sexual violence, and are deprived of access to health care and education. The report also highlights the continued exclusion of women from peace processes: in 2024, only 7 percent of negotiators and 14 percent of mediators in formal peace processes were women. In many peace talks, not a single woman was present. Afghanistan is highlighted in the report as one of the countries where women and girls have suffered most from conflict, poverty, and social exclusion. Under Taliban rule, Afghan women face some of the most extreme forms of discrimination and deprivation in the world. The report states: “Four years after the Taliban’s return to power, eight out of every ten young Afghan women remain deprived of education, employment, or skills training.” It also notes that decades of progress in women’s participation in the judicial system have been erased. Since the Taliban takeover in 2021, all female judges have been removed from the judiciary. The United Nations warns that Afghanistan is among the countries where more than one million pregnant and breastfeeding women are suffering from acute malnutrition. Along with the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, South Sudan, and Sudan, Afghanistan is listed among the world’s most critical regions for women’s malnutrition. Since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, severe restrictions have been imposed on the social participation of women and girls. The Taliban have banned women from education, employment, and even public spaces. These restrictions have not only stripped women of their basic rights but have also severely limited their access to essential services such as health care and nutrition.

Part One Photo: UNICEF/Amin Meerzad Author: Roina Bakhshi It was a rainy day, and Raihan, while gazing out the window at the birds perched on the tree, was thinking about her dreams and wishes. She had no idea whether she would ever achieve them or not. Mother: “Raihan, come, breakfast is ready.” Raihan: “Ok Mom, I’ll come in a few minutes.” Raihan wanted to watch the birds a little longer. Their chirping, their hopping from branch to branch, and their longing to find a mate had enchanted her. Her mother kept calling out, but Raihan playfully ignored the voice. In the end, however, she had to tear herself away from the birds and join the breakfast spread. She ate her breakfast in silence, and her mother could tell from her expression that something was troubling her. After breakfast, still quiet, she began tidying up the house; washing the dishes, wiping the windows, and tidied the house. Her mother said, “Raihan, what’s wrong with you this morning?” Raihan replied, “I don’t know why I feel so down and upset. I have a bad feeling today.” Rahmat, with a backpack full of books and pens, came toward her with mischief and joy, bouncing in her gaze. When he got close, he playfully tapped her knee with a pen and said, “What are you daydreaming about? Come study some math with me. I have a test tomorrow.” Her blank stare broke away from some unknown place, and she looked at her younger brother. In her eyes, he seemed joyful and carefree. “You little rascal, you’ve grown so big from eating so much, but you still can’t solve your questions! Mischief sparkles from your eyes, and all you ever want is to pull me out of my daydreams, huh?” She smiled and helped him with his lessons. After solving a few difficult equations, Raihan went to her room and opened her schoolbooks. She gazed lovingly at her neatly arranged notebooks, the carefully written titles in bold red ink, the rest in blue, the little flowers drawn beside the pages, and the books resting in the blue bookshelf. She had a tall, three-shelf cabinet where she kept her belongings. One section was dedicated to the books she read with love. She recalled her final year of school; a time when she and her classmates went to school together with excitement and passion. The yellow and white color of the room’s walls reminded her of the classroom. Her room was decorated with a bed, a chair, a desk, a cabinet, and a red Afghan carpet that she had chosen herself with care. She loved that space deeply; it was her only comforting refuge in moments of sorrow. Whenever she needed solitude, she preferred to retreat there, because from that spot, she could sit and watch the view outside the window. It has been almost two years since she last went to school, because the Taliban do not allow girls to receive an education. Even thinking about it made her kind heart ache. Raihan had beautiful dreams of finishing her education in her homeland so she could serve her family and her people. She wept pearl-like tears for her dreams, when suddenly there was a knock at the door. Her mother’s silhouette appeared in the doorway, and the moment she opened the door, she froze in place. With furrowed brows, she looked at her daughter with urgency and surprise. “My dear daughter, are you crying?” Raihan wiped her tears. “Mother dear, I was thinking about the dreams I had after graduating from school... how I would build my character and achieve my goals.” Her mother said, “May I be sacrificed for your beautiful honey, almond-shaped eyes, my daughter.” Her mother gently tucked behind her ear the golden strands of Raihan’s hair that had fallen loose and been dampened by tears. She showered her beloved daughter with affection and blessings, then wrapped her in her warm embrace. “Such a pity if those tulip-like cheeks should ever burn in the fire of sorrow...” She kissed her moonlike face, caressed her gently, and after a brief pause, continued. “Don’t worry, my daughter. All of this will pass. God willing, you’ll return to school and continue your education.” “I hope so,” she replied. Raihan drew strength from her mother’s pure and kind-hearted words, seeing her as the true fighter in her life. Her mother’s embrace was the safest place in the face of every fear. Being near her and feeling her kindness gave Raihan's heart the strength to carry on. She lived through a painful day, filled with memories and dreams that had been lost. When the Taliban took over the government, the country’s economic, social, political, and cultural conditions began to deteriorate. Chaos took hold, and people were caught up in their lives, overwhelmed by disorder and uncertainty. Human beings are always in search of those with whom the good and bad moments of life become bearable; those with whom they can share both joy and sorrow. Whenever Raihan thought of Mursal, a smile appeared on her lips. She was the sugar and sweetness of Raihan’s heart; her jokes and laughter brought cheer to Raihan’s moments of longing. They called Mursal the “Pythagoras of the math class,” and everyone would say, “We’re waiting for your next formula, dear Pythagoras!” The only person who could ease Raihan’s worries and inner doubts was her tall and graceful friend, Rana. Raihan was often amazed by her intelligence and sharp mind; there was a hidden meaning behind every idea she shared. Hadia, the kind-hearted one, was Raihan’s companion in moments of restlessness, she listened more than she spoke. She paid close attention to her friends’ conversations and was deeply committed to her studies. The four of them shared a deep and close bond, filled with countless memories from school, with their teachers, classmates, and exams. Football and walking together were their favorite leisure activities. During exam season, they studied side by side. Their exam results were always good, and they shared their success with their families to gain even more support. An indescribable love and affection flowed between each one of them. All four girls had beautiful dreams and goals. They studied the subjects of eleventh grade with excitement and enthusiasm to prepare for the Kankor entrance exam. Together, they planned for graduation and continuing their education. After the Kankor exam, they hoped to enter Kabul University and study in their chosen fields. Raihan was a strong and courageous girl. She always managed her tasks with order and precision. She was one of the best, most capable, and intelligent students in the class. All the teachers loved her; with her kindness and pleasant demeanor, she was beloved by everyone. She treated her friends with warmth and was always there for them in difficult times. Hadia, with her sweet smile, was generous to her younger brothers and sisters. She preferred to take care of her own responsibilities and helped her mother with household tasks. She wanted to be a useful and impactful person in both her family and society.

Photo: AP/variety In the silent streets of Kabul, where women’s performances once echoed before the camera, a heavy silence now fills the air. Afghan women actresses, who had managed to enter the world of art despite years of social and cultural pressure, have once again been pushed to the margins. Through their anti-women restrictions, the Taliban appear to have turned time backwards. Kobra Hashemi is one of these women actresses; a woman who supported her family by acting in films and television series, but now gazes helplessly at the four walls of her home. Kobra told Zan News: “The Taliban not only prevent me from artistic activity, but have also forced me to remain at home. Art was my only means of livelihood, and now it has been taken away from me.” But Kobra is not alone. Shazia Farahmand, another actress, recalls the days when she had already been threatened by the Taliban’s Department for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice. “They told me that my face should no longer appear in films. Now, even my participation in television programmes is forbidden. They want to silence our voices, as if we do not exist at all.” Meanwhile, Khadija Naimi, a woman who is both a mother and the sole breadwinner of her family, recounts her difficult living conditions to Zan News in a trembling voice. “I have no husband, no one to bring food home. Through art, I was able to feed my four daughters. But now… we go to bed hungry at night.” These accounts are only a few among hundreds of women whose voices have been lost within the high walls of politics and extremism; women for whom art was not only a passion but a means of survival. Today, the curtain has fallen, and the lights of the cameras have gone dark, not by choice but by force. Afghan women actresses once again stand amid darkness, holding on to the hope that still lives in their hearts.