The Pulse | Society | South Asia

‘We Have Stitched Our Hearts to Hope’: The Unseen Resistance of Afghan Women Under Taliban Rule

Afghan women say that they respond to Taliban oppression in vastly different ways depending on their social, cultural, and personal contexts. 

“Life in Afghanistan has become… exactly like a dark grave.”

These words, spoken by a woman in Sar-e Pol province of Afghanistan, are not hyperbole. They are an accurate description of daily existence in the country ranked worst in the world for women.

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“Life in Afghanistan has become… exactly like a dark grave.”

These words, spoken by a woman in Sar-e Pol province of Afghanistan, are not hyperbole. They are an accurate description of daily existence in the country ranked worst in the world for women.

Since August 2021, when the Taliban regime retook power, Afghan women have been subjected to unprecedented levels of gender-based oppression that they describe as akin to imprisonment. Many recall the pride of attending school or contributing to their communities through work. That pride has been replaced by........

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