The Taliban have barred women entrepreneurs from selling their handicrafts and other artisanal products at a big trade fair in the eastern Afghanistan in Jalalabad city, according to visitors attending the exhibition.
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By Tamana Taban One spring day Mah Bibi’s three youngest sons were playing with an unusual object they had found in the ground when it exploded, killing them outright along with three friends. The six children are among thousands who have been killed or severely injured by landmines and other explosive items left over from decades of conflict in Afghanistan. Seven years on and the pain is still raw, but Mah Bibi* now draws on her family’s loss to save other young lives by spreading awareness of the hidden risks among her community in central Afghanistan. Afghanistan is one of the most contaminated countries in the world. About 50 people are killed or injured from mines and explosive remnants of war every month, the third highest casualty rate after Myanmar and Syria. Nearly four in five...
Read moreDetailsAs the world marked International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women this week, I spoke with the UN special rapporteur for human rights in Afghanistan Richard Bennett about the dire situation facing women and girls.
This week, an Afghan teacher got in touch with a message. She had written a short essay about the suppression of girls’ education in Afghanistan and the hypocrisy of those behind it. She wanted us to share it with you, our readers, “not for pity, but for awareness, outrage, and change”. It is a powerful piece of writing that, as...
When Afghanistan lost all internet access last Monday, Rukhshana Media reporter Hania Forootan* ventured out to check on friends and see how people were being affected. What she saw in the streets of Kabul filled her with anxiety.
By Tamana Taban One spring day Mah Bibi’s three youngest sons were playing with an unusual object they had found in the ground when it exploded, killing them outright along with three friends. The six children are among thousands who have been killed or severely injured by landmines and other explosive items left over from decades of conflict in Afghanistan. Seven years on and the pain is still raw, but Mah Bibi* now draws on her family’s loss to save other young lives by spreading awareness of the hidden risks among...
The family of an Afghan teenager jailed by the Taliban for five years after refusing to marry an influential tribal figure in his 70s have appealed to the group’s supreme leader for help to secure her release.
Just weeks before their traumatic experience late last year, 16 Afghans, including a mother and two children, drowned off Turkey’s southwest coast when their dinghy capsized.
