In August 2021, the world watched as the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan, sweeping away two decades of progress toward democracy, human rights, and gender equality. While international headlines have since moved on to other crises, millions of Afghan women and girls continue to live under increasingly restrictive policies that have systematically stripped away their most fundamental rights.
This series of anonymous interviews gives voice to those who have been deliberately silenced. Through intimate conversations with women and girls across Afghanistan, we document the profound human impact of the Taliban’s return to power. From students forced to abandon their education to professionals removed from public life, these firsthand accounts reveal the day-to-day reality behind the headlines — a reality of dreams deferred, freedoms revoked, and lives fundamentally altered.
What emerges is not just a chronicle of loss, but a testament to extraordinary resilience. Despite facing restrictions on their movement, dress, education, and employment, Afghan women continue to resist in ways both large and small. Their stories demand our attention not as abstract victims of geopolitical circumstances, but as individuals with unique perspectives, aspirations, and undiminished dignity.
In publishing these interviews, we honor the courage of those who have shared their experiences despite considerable personal risk. Their names have been changed and identifying details obscured, but their voices — clear, honest, and urgent — remain intact.
As the international community’s focus wavers and diplomatic engagement with the Taliban regime increases, these testimonies stand as a powerful reminder: Afghanistan’s women and girls must not be forgotten, and their rights cannot be bargained away in the name of stability or expedience.
This is the first in a series of interviews that will explore the many facets of the lives of Afghanistan’s women and girls under a resurgent Taliban. The second can be found here: Voices of Afghanistan Interview Series: ‘We, Afghan girls and women, will call for freedom with every breath.’
JURIST: Tell us about your life before August 2021. Were you working or studying? Any details you wish to share would be appreciated.
Mineh*: In 2021, when the Taliban took power, I was 12 years old, and it was only at that moment that I realized that everything I had hoped for in life would be taken from me swiftly and suddenly. Before that, I had spent years under the shadow of the COVID-19 crisis. Schools were closed, life was suspended, and our entire world was confined to online pages and virtual education. It seemed that this global crisis would never end, and each day became harder than the previous one. On the other hand, we longed for school, for our friends, and for the teachers who opened new worlds for us in the classroom.
Although the situation was critical and difficult, there was still hope in our hearts for change and improvement. Each of us hoped that one day schools would reopen, that one day we could play together in the schoolyard, and that we would be ready for a better tomorrow with enthusiasm, as our teacher would say in class. But these hopes never came true. With the arrival of the Taliban, my world changed completely. Just as the world was grappling with COVID-19, another catastrophe struck. The Taliban closed the schools, and thus, not only education but even our freedoms were quickly taken away.
At that time, I was a fifth-grade student, still full of enthusiasm and dreams, like many of my peers, about the future. For me, a bright future lay ahead. I wanted to become a doctor one day and help people. But suddenly, in an instant, all my dreams were overshadowed by fear and threat. When we were kicked out of the English academy and the school gates were closed, I realized that nothing remained for us. On that day, I truly felt that I had been separated from the world of education, from the world of progress, from the world of hope. Nothing truly went right, and since then, the dreams we had in our hearts have remained fruitless and unfounded.
JURIST: How did you learn about the events of August 2021, and what were your initial thoughts or reactions?
Mineh: At first, my daily life was full of hope and dreams. I was still in fifth grade, thinking that we would one day get through all these problems. But when I joined the English academy, I will never forget that bitter day. The day they kicked us out of the exam session, closed the academy doors, and said that none of the students would be allowed to continue their studies. It was at that moment that I first tasted the real humiliation. When your future, your dreams, and even your basic right to education are taken away from you, all you feel is a deep emptiness within. I felt that the future I had once hoped for had suddenly been stolen from me. Undoubtedly, that day I gained a deeper understanding of freedom and education and realized how easily many of our basic human rights can be taken away in an instant.
Since that time, nothing has changed the way we had hoped. These events showed us that no matter how hard we try to achieve our goals, everything can change in a single moment. In the meantime, the hope for improvement has been lost. The hopes we once had have disappeared in the shadow of time’s bitterness, leaving nothing but feelings of despair and hopelessness. This crisis has not only kept us away from school and education but has affected all aspects of our lives.
JURIST: Which of the Taliban’s new policies toward women has had the most significant impact on your life, or on your family or community?
Mineh: The Taliban not only took away our opportunity for education but also destroyed our basic freedoms. Throughout history, we Afghan women have always managed to confront difficulties with courage and resilience, but this time, the situation was such that there was nothing left to accept. When even the right to speak, the right to education, and even the right to walk in the streets were taken from us, nothing remained of what we had worked for. This situation was a catastrophe that fundamentally changed our lives. While we used to look to the future with strong spirits, now only a shadow of fear and anxiety weighs on our lives. The Taliban, especially with the new laws they imposed on us, not only pressured the educational situation but all aspects of our social and individual lives as well.
One of the biggest and most painful transformations was the closure of schools and universities to girls. Girls who once went to school every day with enthusiasm and hope now had to stay at home. Those who were in the prime of their youth and dreams now had no chance to realize them. Students who had hoped for a bright and different future through education suddenly faced walls of silence and oppression.
JURIST: Can you share a story that illustrates how life has changed for women in Afghanistan?
Mineh: Women during this time had to bear a heavy burden they never expected. They could no longer participate in society. They were not allowed to leave the house without a male guardian, and any attempt to live an independent social life was met with threats and punishment. The veils that were imposed upon them not only confined their bodies but also enclosed their minds in a circle of suppressed thoughts and constant fears. There was no longer any way to express feelings, desires, or complaints. Even the right to privacy and freedom of speech was taken from women.
One of the moments that had the greatest impact on me was when I went to the market with my mother. As soon as we left the house, we were confronted with threats from the Taliban, telling us we had no right to leave the house without a male guardian. That moment struck a heavy blow to my identity and freedom. These laws not only meant restricting our individual rights but also made me realize that my freedom, which had once been tangible and natural, was now a mere wish.
JURIST: Can you describe a moment when you felt the impact of the new rules most strongly?
Mineh: Yes, I remember very well the moment when I felt the greatest impact of the new Taliban laws. It was the moment when I could no longer easily go outside like before, and my everyday life underwent profound and irreversible changes. I remember the days when I was getting ready to go to school, I no longer knew if I would be able to go that day, as the school gates were closed and every day there was news of new restrictions on girls.
JURIST: What would you like the world to understand about your current situation? Or what do you think is the most misunderstood aspect of your current situation?
Mineh: I want the world to pay more attention to our current situation in Afghanistan and truly understand the hardships we are going through. More than anything, I wish the world would pay attention to our humanity and basic rights, especially those of women and girls. These days, every day is a battle for us—a battle to preserve our identity, freedom, and right to education. Our conditions are not limited to the lack of education but also involve our daily life achievements, freedom of movement, and the ability to make decisions about our future.
At the same time, I believe that many people in the world still do not fully understand the situation in Afghanistan. For many, we seem to be just a group in a country engulfed by war, but we are human beings with our own dreams, goals, and personal lives.
JURIST: What gives you hope or strength in these challenging times?
Mineh: In the end, I still want to believe that one day, our situation will change, and we will be able to live our lives with the freedom and dignity we deserve. But until that day comes, we will continue to resist, to hope, and to fight for a better tomorrow.
This interview, as well as the others in this series, were conducted by a JURIST correspondent on the ground in Afghanistan. This correspondent, an anonymous legal scholar who focuses on women’s and children’s rights, cannot be identified due to grave security threats.
*Due to security threats, all interviewees’ identities have been anonymized.
