By Farida Darvish
Wherever you are in the world, imagine if all the girls in your country were suddenly banned from attending school. Imagine all women civil servants suddenly cut from their jobs. Imagine women barred from working in humanitarian organizations, development, science, research, education, and journalism—the list goes on.
Imagine the devastation in families where women, the sole breadwinners, are left with no options to earn a living. Imagine all female teenagers and women now confined to their homes, with no opportunity to go outside for recreation, make plans with friends, or find any other pastime. Imagine a world where girls and women can’t simply go for a walk in a park alone or travel across town unless escorted by a male family member.
Imagine a lockdown without end, but one that affects only girls and women. Younger sisters and daughters are terrified of reaching sixth grade because, past that point, there’s no education permitted and no reason to leave the house.
This is the reality in Afghanistan today. It’s extreme, systematic, and deliberate. The Taliban is controlling every aspect of women’s lives to the point where even their voices are not allowed to be heard in public.
The United Nations has recognized the Taliban’s institutionalized discrimination as a form of gender apartheid, but more action is needed.
There’s so much at stake.
In the West, Afghanistan is often reduced to lazy narratives, such as a country stuck in the Middle Ages, as if nothing can be done except leaving it to the lethal rule of the Taliban.
Yet, not so long ago, Afghanistan had 63 female MPs, several female ministers, and the first female governors and mayors in its history. Thousands of women were transforming society, girls gathered in Kabul’s cafés, ran organizations making a difference, asked questions on television, and played sports on an international stage. The scene of emerging, capable women was as vibrant as in any other society.
Even now, under the Taliban’s suffocating grip, Afghan women continue to build a better world. Many are working through underground networks to provide education, healthcare, and legal aid to victims of violence. These networks are lifelines and need our support.
Hundreds of secret schools are operating across Afghanistan. They are small but crucial.
Twenty-five years ago, I attended a secret school in a basement in my Kabul neighborhood. It was there I learned to read and write, as I was barred from formal schooling during the Taliban’s rule in the late 1990s. I’ll never forget how hellish that period was for me, my family, and my neighborhood.
When the Taliban fell in 2001, the darkness lifted. Our school uniforms became symbols of freedom and hope for the future. In 2021, the Taliban snatched that hope away again, resuming their senseless quest to dehumanize women.
The future for twenty million Afghan women and girls is in peril. I lie awake at night thinking of them. We may not be able to give them hope immediately, but we can be their voice. Citizens and governments must not stop speaking for them. Afghan women deserve a future of freedom and opportunity. We owe it to them to fight for that future, together.
As Rumi said, “If everything around seems dark, look again; you may be the light.”
The first, most critical step is ensuring Afghan women’s voices are heard globally. Afghan women are not passive victims—they are leaders, educators, and activists, and the world must hear their stories.
For too long, others have spoken for Afghan women. It’s time to let them speak for themselves. Enable them. Amplify their voices. Give them platforms to share their experiences and advocate for their rights. Media outlets, international organizations, and governments should provide resources for them to tell their stories.
Western governments engaging with the Taliban must focus on the bigger picture. Sanctions and diplomatic pressure should demand the restoration of women’s rights in Afghanistan. Humanitarian aid should be conditional on women’s access to services and support.
Without targeted international action, the Taliban will continue acting with impunity, confident the world will look the other way. How long can we ignore the erasure of 20 million women from society and public life?
Farida Darvish was the Director of Women Empowerment at Afghanistan’s Civil Service before the Taliban takeover in 2021.
