Girls over the age of 10 have been banned from attending primary school in Afghanistan in the latest edict issued by the Taliban-led Ministry of Education. Taliban leaders met with school principals in certain provinces and told them strictly that “any girl over 10 years of age is not allowed to study in primary schools.” […]
Unveiling Tyranny: Taliban’s Decree restricts women’s movement & Deepens Gender Apartheid
In its latest decree, the Taliban’s Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice stated that women must observe the full “hijab” in order to ride in taxi vehicles. The decree not only targets Afghan women, but penalizes male guardians of women who defy the Taliban’s policing of women’s lives and face punishment […]
Amnesty Denied for Prosecutors Marks a Growing Threat to Afghanistan’s Judicial System
In response to a recent claim by Taliban officials that there are no threats against prosecutors or judges in Afghanistan, the International Organization for Transitional Justice and Peace (ITJP) has released a statement outlining the very real threat that members of the justice system face. In the statement, ITJP disputes the claim made by the […]
Afghan Journalists in Jeopardy and the Taliban’s Tightening Grip on Media Freedom
The Taliban has halted local TV network’s broadcasts in Nangarhar province in eastern Afghanistan. Hamesha Bahar TV and Radio network was the outlet targeted in a Taliban raid of the office on Monday. This is not an isolated incident, nor the first of its kind, as the media outlet had a similar situation and treatment […]
US officials and Taliban leaders engage in talks in Qatar amid mounting concerns over normalization of the Taliban
Amidst a backdrop of heightened tensions and uncertainties, US officials and Taliban leaders met in Qatar for two days. In an announcement made by the head of its political office in Doha, the Taliban revealed that talks commenced between a Taliban delegation and US representatives on July 30. While engagement is deemed necessary, especially to […]
The Political Offside: Politics Takes the Field in Afghan Women’s Fight to Play Soccer
Thousands gathered at a stadium in Brisbane to watch Australia’s World Cup match against Nigeria. Among the crowd, sitting close to the pitch were players from the Afghan women’s national team, who are now exiled. They dream of representing their country again, as they have done in the past. Currently, however, the national team is […]
Indiana’s near total abortion ban currently paused
Indiana’s latest extreme abortion ban was set to go into effect today, but remains on hold as the ACLU has filed a petition to the state Supreme Court challenging the law. The ban would outlaw abortions in all cases, except rape and incest, but only in the first 10 weeks of pregnancy. The health of […]
Taliban Torches Music Instruments in Kabul, Setting Culture and Music Ablaze
The Taliban-led Ministry of Vice and Virtue says its officials burned down musical instruments which were collected nationwide over the past few months and which were used “for the promotion of music and corruption.” They were destroyed according to the Taliban’s interpretation of Sharia law. The Ministry of Vice and Virtue did not provide any […]
Afghan women face economic challenges—three personal stories of resilience and hardship amidst Taliban bans.
In a feature story by the Afghanistan Analysts Network, three resilient Afghan women open up about their experiences enduring economic hardships under the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. Despite different backgrounds, these women share a common thread – they all face the oppressive bans imposed by the Taliban prohibiting them from employment and numerous other opportunities. […]
The Taliban has reportedly agreed to relocate the TTP within its borders. Many fear a rise in ethnic tension and terrorism as a result.
The Pakistani government has come to an agreement with the Taliban for the approximately 4,000 Tehreek-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) members along the border of the two countries to be relocated to northern Afghanistan. These militants form a distinct extremist group commonly known as the Pakistani Taliban, created in 2007, that is considered an offshoot and […]
Afghanistan’s Judicial System Takes Another Hit as the Taliban Abolishes the Attorney General’s Office
In a recent attack on Afghanistan’s judicial system, the Taliban has abolished the Attorney General’s Office. Instead, they have replaced it with the “Directorate of Supervision and Prosecution of Decrees and Orders” which is designed to ensure the implementation of the Taliban’s orders in public and private life. The provided explanation for this change was […]
Ohio’s abortion rights amendment qualifies for November ballot
Photo by Element5 Digital on Unsplash In November, Ohio voters will decide whether to amend the state Constitution to include a right to reproductive freedom. State officials said on Tuesday that the petition had culled 495,938 valid signatures across 55 counties, surpassing the requisite 413,487 signatures across 44 counties. Ohioans for Reproductive Freedom and Ohio […]
The Taliban officials confirmed that only men will take the university entrance exams. Afghan women and men demand equal access to education for the sake of Afghanistan’s future.
The National Examination Authority (NEXA) in Afghanistan announced that only male students can attend the university entrance examination this year. This came from a letter written by the Ministry of Higher Education stating that only male students should be recruited to universities. This removal of women from society will negatively impact the country, many women […]
“We are here for justice.” Afghan Women Take to the Streets to Protest Against Latest Taliban Edicts
Dozens of women took to the streets in Kabul on Wednesday to protest against the Taliban’s closing of women’s beauty salons. The order forces thousands of beauty parlors across the country, run by women, to close. The Taliban government has banned women from high schools and universities, parks, gyms, working for NGOs, and in the […]
Economic Destabilization: Taliban’s Ban on Female Employment Threatens Afghan Families
In one of the latest decrees, the Taliban has imposed a ban on female kindergarten teachers, adding to the long list of edicts targeting women. While officially issued by the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, the order came from the Ministry of Vice and Virtue, a group historically known for enforcing arbitrary measures and […]
UN report underscores the Taliban’s growing restrictions on Afghan women and girls.
As the two-year anniversary of the Taliban takeover approaches, the UN released a report on the human rights situation in Afghanistan. The report highlights increased restrictions on the freedom of Afghan women and girls. The Taliban has also firmly enforced limitations on women’s freedom of movement and employment. Despite promises of being more moderate than […]
The Taliban in Afghanistan seeks instructors from Pakistan for Afghan youth but denies local teachers job opportunities.
Taliban officials in Kabul have asked Pakistan to send teachers to Afghanistan, meanwhile firing thousands of Afghan professionals and staff members at academic institutions across the country. The Taliban Minister of Higher Education, Neda Mohammed Nadeem, announced calls to Pakistan to send teachers to Afghanistan. Nadeem requested a meeting with Pakistani Ambassador to Afghanistan, Obaid […]
Opill becomes first FDA-approved contraceptive pill for over-the-counter use
In the United States, the path to accessible birth control pills hasn’t always been easy. Although the first FDA-approved birth control pill became available in 1960, the Comstock Act (a 150 year old “chastity law”) has created barriers to accessing it. These barriers were not challenged until Griswold v. Connecticut in 1965, when the Supreme […]
Biden-Harris administration forgives student debt for 804,000 borrowers
When the Supreme Court struck down President Joe Biden’s $400 billion student debt relief plan, he remained determined. At a June 30 press conference he told reporters, “We need to find a new way.” Two weeks later, the Department of Education announced the details: it will cancel $39 billion in Federal student loans. On July […]
The Taliban shut down teacher training centers, leaving thousands out of jobs. The majority of the student were women.
The Taliban announced it will shut down teacher training centers throughout the country, leaving 4,000 Afghan professionals running the centers without jobs. Historically, a majority of trainees and aspiring teachers at teacher training centers were women until the Taliban took control of the government. Many of them have been subjected to a ban by the […]
