Afghan Witness Reports

Lectures by female scholar and a children’s play among strategies to promote jihadi ideology

Claims emerge in the media that the Taliban has allowed the operation of certain girls' schools, which the Taliban later denies.

AW examines the Taliban's stated vision for education in Afghanistan in 2023, comparing the Taliban’s stated vision for education and the reality experienced by practitioners, institutions, and students in the country

Afghan women and girls are seeking education opportunities outside of Afghanistan – but for many, numerous obstacles stand in their way.

Report by Afghan Witness details more than 3,000 claims of human rights violations in Afghanistan under Taliban rule

Afghan Witness spoke to a university student, and a professor who resigned after the Taliban’s announcement.

The Taliban reacted by sending military vehicles to various larger cities to deter protests and, in some cases, used water cannons, gunfire into air and physical violence against protesters.

AW investigators visually confirmed at least 13 casualties, among them multiple children.

In footage, a Taliban member can be seen striking the gathered students, who are recorded hitting and kicking the gates in protest.

The explosion occurred in the predominantly Hazara area of Dasht-e Barchi, with significant casualties among female students.

Afghan Witness spoke to two women who planned to continue their studies in Qatar and Kyrgyzstan, but say the Taliban prevented them and other female students from boarding a Doha-bound flight. Both women's names have been changed to protect their identities.

Since the Taliban’s return last August, the group has demonstrated determination to regulate, shape, and control access to education in Afghanistan.