The first time the Taliban took over Afghanistan was in 1996, when they seized the capital, Kabul. It was 2001 when they were overthrown by the U.S. military. However, it took 20 years for the Taliban to take back Kabul, and their victory has impacted nearly 14 million Afghan women.
It is declared unsafe to be a woman in Afghanistan. According to U.N. Women, the rates of violence have increased, the restrictions for girls’ education have gotten worse, and the laws that protect women are being stripped away from them since the Taliban’s return.
In many parts of Afghanistan, women must be covered head-to-toe and be accompanied by a male relative in all public areas. Widows or women without male relatives face the threat of danger, as this rule is to limit their freedom of movement. The Taliban’s ideology is to build a gender segregated society, and that a woman must not leave her house unless it is necessary.
Afghanistan has the highest workforce gender gap in the world. Only one in four women are seeking work or have a job. The women who do have jobs are working for low pay in an unstable economy. Some families who suffer from poverty marry off their underage daughters to survive.
Afghan women are being removed from leadership positions. The word “women” must be replaced by “men” in publishing work, said the U.N Women, which has forced many women´s organizations to either close or dramatically cut back in funds. In 2020, 25 percent of women held seats in Parliament and could run for president, but now in 2025, they have no opportunities to be involved with politics.
However, there are quite a few quiet political positions for women. Some meet informally with the De Facto Authorities, also known as the DFA, to advocate for their organizations and representations
Unfortunately, U.N. Women has reported that 60 percent of women feel like they have no more influence in their country, not even in their own homes.
While Afghan women feel trapped in their country, the world is their advocate. On August 14, when the Taliban took over Kabul, the world rallied together to advocate for Afghan women’s rights. From Germany to the United States, people advocate for those women who are silent.
Organizations have also worked alongside Afghan women. Organizations such as Women for Afghan Women, or the WAW, which provides aid and advocates for rights, and Women for Women International, which teaches job training and economic programs,and the Afghan Women’s Network, a foundation for women’s organizations in Afghanistan. These organizations provide women with education and chances to immigrate to other countries safely.
As time goes on so does the suffrage of Afghan women so opportunities are being taken to protest the Taliban away.