Afghan Witness Reports

An overview of women’s rights under the Taliban: erasure from public life, violence at home and online.

Documenting 195 cases of suicide since April 2022, AW has observed a rise in female suicides since the Taliban seized power in 2021, and identified a pattern suggesting that ethnic minorities appear to make up a disproportionate share of the reported cases

Interviews with women in the sector reveal that some organisations have replaced their female directors with men to allow operations to continue, while one president of a women-focused NGO says she is using her personal savings to keep office doors open.

In November, ten activists were allegedly detained by the Taliban for their involvement in protests and women’s rights movements. Two have reportedly been released, though the whereabouts of the others remain uncertain. AW was able to speak with two other women’s rights activists, as well as friends and relatives of the detainees. The names of sources have been changed.

Afghan Witness assesses how the Taliban’s return has impacted women’s access to education and employment, their freedom of movement and dress, and their ability to access support services.

Two women share their experiences of being detained by the Taliban while protesting the takeover.

With most women's refuges shut down across the country, survivors of gender violence - and former employees - are left with nowhere to turn.

Since August, restrictions on women's education, work, travel, and dress have come into effect.