Women in Herat say their lives have been transformed by the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan in August 2021. Speaking under pseudonyms because they fear reprisals, they describe the loss of access to education, restrictions on their movements and continuing fear of repression.
Sanam, an 18-year-old woman, recalled several turning points. On March 23, 2022, the Taliban announced at the last moment that girls would not be allowed to return to secondary schools, despite plans for their reopening after months of closure. In spring 2026, the clandestine school where Sanam taught English was also forced to shut.
Herat was also the scene of a protest on June 9. The gathering took place in Jebrail, a neighborhood largely inhabited by Hazara, a predominantly Shiite ethnic minority. Demonstrators wanted to denounce the detention of dozens of women who had been arrested days earlier by agents of the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice. The women were accused of violating the dress code imposed by the Taliban authorities.
Sanam went to the protest with her parents. She said gunfire began shortly after their car stopped near the gathering. People ran in all directions, and the family quickly returned home. The incident deepened the fear surrounding public dissent in the city.
In October, Sanam spoke in a closed women’s booth at a Herat restaurant alongside her mother, Khadija, her maternal aunt, Mojda, and her cousin Najiba. Such spaces are among the few places where women can still meet. Sanam’s father, a shopkeeper, drove them to the restaurant, and Khadija said he supported their suffering.
Despite the restrictions and the closure of formal and clandestine educational opportunities, the women continue to seek ways to learn and maintain contact with one another. Their accounts reflect both desperation under Taliban rule and the persistent hope of eventually leaving Afghanistan.
Sources: Le Monde International.