2023
A TIMELINE
Photo by Sa ' adia Khan
As Central Asia Institute and our partners on the ground continue to navigate the new environment under Taliban rule , we ’ ve seen this struggle play out . Yes , the Taliban ’ s bans on secondary education for girls and university for women have forced us to narrow the scope of our programs , predominantly to focus on primary school . But we ’ ve also found a huge demand for our community-based classes — including for girls — in areas where there are no schools and where many adults have little to no education . And in several instances in which the Taliban sought to interfere with these classes , it was the communities themselves that fought back . Today ’ s Afghans are not the same as they were 20 years ago . In cities and rural areas alike , most highly value education as the best chance for a better life . Despite the challenging operating environment , we ’ ve continued to deliver education programs to girls , including in remote , rural areas that are culturally conservative .
DECEMBER 2021 MARCH 2022
• The Ministry of Virtue and Vice , resurrected from when the Taliban previously held power pre-2001 , orders women to be accompanied by a close male relative when going out ( muharram ).
• Across Afghan cities , women protest , despite being threatened , intimidated , and beaten . Even though protestors are still being detained and beaten , and even disappearing , protests continue to this day .
• Despite assurances that all schools would reopen for the new academic year , girls returning to secondary school are ordered to go home , and their schools are closed until further notice .
2023
MARCH 2023
• Female students protest outside Kabul University as their male counterparts return to classes . 5
JULY 2023
• Women ’ s beauty salons , one of the only remaining places for Afghan women to socialize and work , are ordered closed .
• Women in Kabul gathering to protest the closures , shouting “ work , bread , and justice ,” are dispersed by Taliban using water cannons and stun guns . 6
SUMMER 2023
• Afghan women increasingly take their protests indoors and online , posting pictures and videos on social media to keep the world focused on their plight and allow human rights organizations to document Taliban abuses . 7
5 https :// www . cnn . com / 2023 / 03 / 06 / asia / afghanistan-university-women-protest-intl-hnk / index . html
6 https :// www . bbc . com / news / world-66244408
7
The group Afghan Witness has recorded 95 separate women ’ s protests across the country , 84 of which were held indoors , between March 1 and June 27 , 2023 . https :// www . reuters . com / article / afghanistan-women-protests / feature-afghan-women-take-protests-online-as-taliban-crush-dissent-idUSL8N39D6VG
2023-2024 JOURNEY OF HOPE | 7