International News Highlight: The Lives of Women in Afghanistan

Editorial assistant Amy Shelton reflects upon the damaging standards of living that have been forced upon women in Afghanisation in the past five years under the ruling of the Taliban.

It has been nearly five years since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in August 2021. 

The Taliban have enforced laws that have harmed women and their quality of life. This includes banning women from secondary and higher education, work, political institutes and sports. This means that Afghan women have no autonomy or agency to make decisions and often do not leave their homes [1]. 

Since these restrictive laws have been enforced, protests have taken place around the country. Dissidence is illegal in the country, and harsh penalties are in place for those who criticise Taliban rule.  

On 9 June 2026, the BBC reported that two protestors were killed in the Western city of Herat [2],[3]. Taliban authorities fired shots into the direction of a large crowd that were protesting women’s dress code violations. It was reported that 100 to 150 men were supporting over a dozen women who had been arrested for leaving the house without wearing a full-face covering burqa.  

Many protestors were also injured. A witness told AFP that authorities "used sticks, whips and firearms to disperse the crowd. They even fired shots into the air".

Wearing a hijab has been compulsory since May 2022. There has since been a strict crackdown on women who are deemed not to be adhering to these codes, particularly women who do not wear full-length burqas and cover skin on their hands and ankles.

Protests are rare since Taliban rule commenced. Women are also forbidden to visit parks and go to gyms. In January 2023, female athletes who could no longer take part in their sports posed for portraits [4] and dressed in full-length blue burqas with the equipment of their respective sports, sending a defiant message to the public.  

by Amy Shelton

References: [1] UN Women. (2025, August 7). FAQs: What it’s like to be a woman in Afghanistan in 2025 | UN Women – Headquarters. UN Women – Headquarters. https://www.unwomen.org/en/articles/faqs/faqs-afghanistan

[2] Drury, F. (2026, June 9). Afghanistan: Two dead after women take part in Herat protest. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c992vdk3g3yo

[3] Becatoros, E. (2026, June 10). UN says 1 died in crackdown on Afghan protests over women’s arrests. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/afghanistan-taliban-women-arrested-protest-467c3740866f9d2cecb970fee64a8a72

[4] Afghanistan’s Undercover Athletes: Sportswomen Pose For Portraits Amid Taliban Threats. (2023, January 11). RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty. https://www.rferl.org/a/banned-afghanistan-women-athletes-taliban-portraits/32218416.html