The International Labour Organization reports that only 5.1% of workers in Afghanistan are women, a drastic reduction to less than a third of pre-Taliban levels, five years after the Taliban's return to power.

Public figures, including the presidents of UN Women France and Afghanes de France, are urging urgent action to support Afghan women, who remain victims and resistors five years after the Taliban's return to power.

Women in Afghanistan express that while fear is constant under Taliban rule, the deprivation of education is an even more profound source of pain.

Afghanistan continues to be the only country globally that bans girls from secondary school and women from university, leading to growing isolation and widespread feelings of unsafety among Afghan women.

The United Nations has called for increased international support and protection for women in Afghanistan amidst ongoing challenges.

A UN report highlights the grim reality for women in Afghanistan, revealing that more than half rarely leave their homes and require a man's permission, though many still hope for a better future.

As the fifth anniversary of the US troop withdrawal approaches, Afghanistan under Taliban rule continues to grapple with an imminent famine and the 'systematic erasure of Afghan women's rights,' issues that remain largely unaddressed by the international community.

Nilofar Ayoubi, an Afghan women's rights activist now living as a refugee in Poland, shares her extraordinary story of being dressed as a boy by her father for 10 years to protect her from the Taliban's rules.

In a remote province of northeastern Afghanistan, women farmers are playing a vital role in their community's survival among the snow-capped mountains.

Recent talks between the EU and the Taliban have sparked outrage among Afghan women, who view the engagement as a betrayal amid rising anti-immigration rhetoric in Europe.

With secondary education and most traditional jobs largely inaccessible under Taliban rule, thousands of Afghan women are increasingly turning to entrepreneurship as their primary means of earning income and maintaining social connections.

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) confirmed that a staff member was held for two days in early June by the Taliban regime in Afghanistan.

An unprecedented secret operation was launched to exfiltrate the Afghan women's cycling team from Kabul, nearly five years after the Taliban seized control and imposed Sharia law, threatening the athletes.

Fawzia Koofi, an Afghan women's rights advocate, criticizes the EU for welcoming the Taliban to Europe, stating that it is a 'slap in the face' to Afghan women and calls for laws against gender apartheid.

The Netherlands has announced a new policy making it more likely for Afghan women and girls seeking asylum to receive permission to remain in the country.

An exhibition at the Photoville Festival in Brooklyn, New York, features powerful photos by anonymous Afghan cousins, illustrating the pain and dreams of women living under Taliban rule.

FIFA has officially recognized the Afghan women's football team, a development celebrated by captain Fatima Haidari as vital for asserting the team's existence. This recognition is seen as a significant step for the team, especially given the challenging circumstances in Afghanistan.

Six women share their experiences of living under the Taliban's misogynistic theocracy in Afghanistan, describing the veil as a 'slow death' in powerful testimonies.

Afghanistan's women's football team has received approval from FIFA to return to international competition after an eight-year hiatus, with former captain Khalida Popal calling them a 'symbol of resilience'.

A recent UN report reveals that Taliban restrictions on Afghan women's access to health and employment in the health sector are causing unnecessary suffering, illness, and death, potentially amounting to femicide.

The UN states that 'change is still possible' for Afghan women, denouncing a Taliban decree that allows corporal punishment and makes justice inaccessible to victims. The conflict with Pakistan has displaced 64,000 people, half of whom are women and children.

From Norwegian witches and rebellious Afghan women to ghost elephants and Danish film's big, embarrassing provocateur.

Banned from education, a clandestine reading circle meets every week to pour over novels by Abbas Maroufi, Zoya Pirzad and Ernest Hemingway Four young women sit together, waiting for the phone to ring. When the call finally comes, their friend’s voice is crackly and hard to make out, but they wait patiently for the signal to improve so they can start discussing their chosen book. Every Thursday, the five friends come together away from the disapproving gaze of the Taliban for a reading circle. They read not for entertainment but, as they put it, to understand life and the world around them. They call their group “women with books and imagination”. Continue reading...

Over five years of Taliban rule, 166 decrees have been issued that increasingly restrict the daily lives of Afghan women and girls, effectively destroying half of Afghanistan's population.

Afghan women describe their fears and the oppressive grip of the Taliban five years after the group returned to power and imposed their archaic version of Sharia law.

Five years after the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan, the regime continues its systematic onslaught against the rights and freedoms of Afghan women and girls. The anniversary marks a somber reflection on the severe restrictions imposed on half of the country's population.

Afghan women have spoken to the BBC about the drastic changes and hardships they face five years into Taliban rule, including public floggings, job losses, and severe barriers to healthcare.

Discussions are ongoing regarding the necessity for democracies to engage with the Taliban, despite their human rights record, particularly concerning the 21 million Afghan women and girls facing dire conditions. This engagement is seen by some as crucial for addressing the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.

Ustad Fazel Sapand, an Afghan musician who fled the Taliban, arrived in Portugal without speaking local languages, performed for Madonna, and completed a master's degree on traditional Afghan women's songs.

Afghan women's cricket is reportedly set to receive an extension of funding from the International Cricket Council (ICC). This decision comes amidst ongoing challenges for women's sports in Afghanistan.

Afghan women are asking the International Criminal Court (ICC) for 'clear answers' regarding their future. Their plea underscores ongoing concerns about their rights and status in Afghanistan.

Criticism surrounding cooperation with the Taliban on deportations is reportedly counterproductive for women in Afghanistan, as it complicates the delivery of crucial humanitarian aid to the country.

Since the Taliban's takeover in August 2021, the situation for Afghan women has significantly deteriorated, with the regime systematically removing them from public life.

Afghan women's rights continue to diminish amidst reports that the European Union is planning talks with the Taliban. This development raises concerns about the future of women's rights in Afghanistan.

Women in Afghanistan are protesting against the Taliban regime following a new edict that mandates them to remain completely confined to their homes and to wear specific types and colors of clothing designed by the authorities, under penalty of imprisonment.

The Taliban has approved approximately 140 measures against women since 2021, including bans on education and other rights, while the European Union considers steps to legitimize their government.

Nearly five years after the ban on girls' education in Afghanistan, young women recount how their dreams have been shattered, with one woman fleeing the country to avoid a forced marriage.

The Afghanistan women's refugee cricket team is set to tour England next month, marking their return to international play after being forced out by the Taliban. This tour represents a significant step for the team, which was displaced from their home country.

A recent FIFA rule change has enabled the Afghan women's football team to participate in official international matches for the first time since the Taliban's takeover in 2021, a decision hailed as a victory for the team.

The Afghan women's team has been described as 'a beacon of hope for every girl around the world,' highlighting their significance and inspiration.

FIFA has ruled that the Afghan women's national football team, whose players fled their home country after the Taliban takeover, can continue to represent Afghanistan under the world federation's umbrella.

Over 100 Afghan women's rights defenders have collectively written to Melania Trump, appealing for her assistance in restoring education and freedom for women and girls under Taliban rule.

The secretly filmed Finnish documentary 'The Secret Reading Club of Kabul,' which focuses on women in Afghanistan, has won the main prize in the Nordic competition series at the CPH:DOX festival in Copenhagen.

The documentary from Shakiba Adil and Elina Hirvonen, premiering at CPH:DOX in Copenhagen, features clandestinely shot mobile phone footage and shows "the power of art to keep hope and humanism…

Afghan women share stories of resilience and hope despite strict interpretations of Islamic law enforced by Taliban authorities since 2021.

With women banned from most jobs in Afghanistan, an embroidery boutique run by 22-year-old Rahima Alavi is a surprising and treasured sight in Bamiyan. “Spring flowers, tailoring and embroidery,” reads a sign outside Alavi’s small store, which opened in January after a months-long search for work. “I really feel proud because I can support my family, my parents and three sisters. I can pay the rent,” said Alavi, who was wearing a burgundy coat that had a few pieces of leftover coloured thread stuck to it. This photograph taken on January 20, 2026 shows Afghan tailoress Rahima Alavi embroidering a scarf at her boutique in Bamiyan. —AFP Demonstrating her new skills, she guided material through her sewing machine to create delicate silk leaves and flowers. Alavi is one of more than five million people who have returned to the country since 2023 from Pakistan and Iran, which have been pushing back Afghans after hosting them for decades. Having grown up in rural Bamiyan province, where she helped her parents with farm work alongside school, the family moved to Iran in 2021. “In Iran, there were more job opportunities, and there, men and women can work,” she said. They picked cabbages for a living near the central city of Isfahan, before returning to Afghanistan in 2024. “My father couldn’t find a job, nor could I or my sisters. I was very hopeless, because there were no jobs in Bamiyan,” she said, her smile fading. his photograph taken on January 20, 2026 shows Afghan tailoress Rahima Alavi (L) embroidering scarves and clothes at her boutique in Bamiyan. —AFP Only one per cent of women who returned from Pakistan or Iran have found full-time jobs, while two per cent have a business, according to a survey by the International Organization for Migration (IOM). Alavi struggled for months, before being picked along with 25 other women for embroidery training under a programme backed by the UN refugee agency. “I started to have hope, and my hope grew bigger with the course,” she said. ‘No work for women’ Alavi was given a range of equipment including a sewing machine, fabric and cash for a solar panel — essential in a country where power cuts are commonplace. Her teacher, Rayhana Darabi, described Alavi as “very capable, very talented”. “She was so dedicated that she would not miss anything and learned everything that same day,” said Darabi. The embroidery teacher lost her job in December when the programme was discontinued, as part of broader aid cuts hitting people across Afghanistan. Alavi is the only woman from the programme to have successfully opened a business so far, with her best friend’s support, bringing great pride to those around her. This photograph taken on January 20, 2026 shows Afghan women embroidering scarves and clothes at a boutique in Bamiyan. —AFP “We were truly very happy. Women in Afghanistan today — not only in Bamiyan but all over the country — face many challenges and rules and regulations,” said her teacher. The Afghan Taliban authorities rule by a strict interpretation of Islamic law, barring women from the majority of professions while permitting some to work in industries such as handicrafts. Alavi appealed to donors to restart the training programme. “Because there is no work for women here,” she said. Last year, women were the majority among nearly 2,400 people trained under UNHCR programmes. The agency said this month it needed $216m this year to support displaced people and returnees across the country, but its appeal was currently just eight per cent funded. With opportunities increasingly limited, Alavi encouraged her fellow returnee women to seek out any chance available. “Don’t sit at home,” said the entrepreneur, surrounded by embroidered dresses, scarves and tablecloths. Decorated across one of the scarves, which Alavi said she would like to wear, she had embroidered purple butterflies taking flight.

Five years after the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan, women continue to face a deepening rights crisis, enduring severe hardships in exile and at home.

Afghan women describe living in a 'prison-like' environment, subject to surveillance by Chinese cameras in the streets under Taliban rule.

Afghan women tell the BBC that their lives have become unrecognizable five years into Taliban rule, detailing public floggings, job losses, and healthcare barriers that endanger lives.

A UN Women report indicates that half of Afghan women are only allowed to leave their homes once or twice a month due to Taliban-imposed restrictions. These limitations have deepened their isolation and exclusion from public life.

A UN agency report reveals that half of Afghan women rarely leave their homes due to deepening Taliban restrictions, which include banning girls from secondary education and women from university, further highlighting the severe challenges faced by women under the regime.

Exiled Afghans are urging for a more resolute approach in dealing with the Kabul government, asserting that the situation of Afghan women should not be accepted and relations with the Islamist regime should not be normalized.

Banned from playing football in their home country, members of the Afghan women's national team have reunited 8,000 miles away, finding freedom and independence through the sport.

Despite the Taliban government's ban on most female employment, women in Afghanistan are generally permitted to farm, playing a crucial role in sustaining their villages.

Five years after their return to power, the Taliban continue to intensify repression against Afghan women and girls, leading human rights groups to describe the situation as 'gender apartheid.' The country faces collapse with women and girls deprived of basic rights.

In Taliban-ruled Afghanistan, a woman named Nanawati struggles to negotiate with men who are imposing restrictions on the lives of Afghan women.

An unprecedented plan was put in place to smuggle professional Afghan women cyclists out of the country after the Taliban took power, fearing for their lives.

The Afghan women's football team has made a return to the international stage after successfully escaping the Taliban regime.

Nearly five years after Afghanistan's school ban for girls, young women are abandoning their dreams and fleeing the country to pursue education elsewhere, with one woman recounting her escape in a taxi.

Since their return to power in August 2021, Taliban authorities have enacted a series of new regulations significantly restricting the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan, with recent attention focused on new family laws.

Afghan women, many of whom are war-scarred and displaced globally, will now have the opportunity to participate in FIFA tournaments.

A new FIFA rule permitting Afghanistan's women footballers to compete in official matches is being celebrated as a historic moment and a recognition of basic human rights.

Taliban restrictions in Afghanistan, which limit women's access to healthcare and employment in the medical field, are causing illness and death, with a UN report suggesting these actions could amount to femicide.

A Finnish documentary about Afghan women, filmed on mobile phones, premiered at a prestigious festival.

From singing to going up into the mountains to scream, five Afghan women talked about how they cope with their lives tightly controlled by Taliban government rules.

An article raises the question of who will advocate for and support Afghan women amidst ongoing challenges and concerns regarding their rights and freedoms.

Letter: <strong>George Papachristou</strong> and<em> </em><strong>Gigih Yudhistira </strong>offer some hope in response to a report on how the Taliban’s ban on birth control is affecting Afghan women