Afghan women never surrendered—these words from Soraya Nazir, a women's rights activist, capture the defiance marking International Women's Day in Afghanistan this year. Five years after the Taliban's return to power, Afghan women face systematic exclusion from education, employment, and public life, yet their resistance grows louder.
"We endured great suffering and hardship under the Taliban, but those hardships only made us stronger, more determined, and louder in standing against injustice," Nazir wrote on social media as women across Afghanistan and in exile commemorated March 8.
The Taliban administration has imposed what the United Nations terms "gender apartheid"—banning girls from secondary education, barring women from most employment, and restricting their freedom of movement. Women cannot attend university, work in most sectors, or travel long distances without a male guardian. Parks, gyms, and public baths have been closed to women in many provinces.
Yet on this International Women's Day, Afghan women refused silence. In Kabul, small groups gathered privately to mark the occasion, sharing stories of resistance despite the risks. In exile communities from Pakistan to Europe, Afghan women organized demonstrations and cultural events highlighting the erosion of rights since August 2021.
Mahbouba Seraj, a prominent Afghan women's rights advocate still based in Kabul, told reporters that Afghan women continue to find ways to educate girls in secret, operate underground businesses, and document Taliban abuses. "The world may have moved on from Afghanistan, but Afghan women have not given up," she said.
The educational restrictions hit particularly hard. According to UNESCO estimates, more than since the Taliban banned them from attending school beyond sixth grade. Many families have resorted to underground schools, risking Taliban punishment to ensure their daughters continue learning.
