Afghan FM presser in India an example of how Taliban have treated women | Explained
Under Taliban 2.0, Afghan women face severe restrictions on education, work, and public life.
A press conference held by Afghanistan's Taliban regime's foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi in New Delhi became the center of controversy on October 9, 2025, after female journalists were not allowed to attend. The Indian government clarified on Saturday that it had no involvement in organising the event.
The incident renewed discussions about the Taliban’s views on women and highlighted the ongoing challenges faced by Afghan women under the return of the militant group to power after the US withdrawal in 2021.
Preventing any ‘mixing of genders’
Since the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan in August 2021 — dubbed Taliban 2.0 by many analysts — they have systematically restricted women’s rights across various domains, including education, employment, healthcare, and public life.
Girls have been banned from attending school beyond the sixth grade, making Afghanistan the only country in the world with such a ban.
Taliban's higher education minister, Neda Mohammed Nadim, justified the ban by stating it was necessary to prevent the mixing of genders and because he believed some subjects being taught violated the principles of Islam.
1.5 million women without education
This policy has left over 1.5 million young girls and women without access to secondary and higher education. Women face severe restrictions in the workforce, with government positions closed to them and private sector participation heavily curtailed.
Public spaces such as parks, gyms, and salons are largely inaccessible to women, and long-distance travel is forbidden without a male relative, NYT has reported.
No sound, no skin: Law for women
Women are required to remain fully covered from head to toe whenever they leave home, and the very sound of a woman’s voice in public has been effectively silenced.
These restrictions have economically marginalised women and confined them to domestic roles, erasing their presence from public life.
The Taliban have dismantled legal and institutional frameworks that previously protected women's rights, according to the NYT report. They have dismissed female judges and replaced them with unqualified male appointees, effectively eliminating women's access to justice.
The legal system has been weaponised to target women and girls, with reports of arbitrary detentions and physical violence for those who defy dress codes or attempt to assert their rights. Activists, educators, and ordinary citizens alike face severe risks when asserting their basic rights.
No books, no authorship
The Taliban 2.0 regime has also removed books authored by women from university curricula, citing concerns over their content. The ban also prohibits the teaching of subjects related to human rights and sexual harassment.
Around 140 books, including titles such as Safety in the Chemical Laboratory, were deemed “of concern” for allegedly contradicting Sharia law and Taliban policies.
Beyond legal and institutional restrictions, the Taliban have engaged in a campaign to erase women from public consciousness.
Faces removed from billboards, murals
Over the past three years, women’s faces have been removed from advertisements on billboards, painted over on school murals, and scratched off posters lining city streets, according to a report by BBC.
Even the heads of female mannequins, dressed in full black abayas, have been covered with tinfoil, symbolizing the systematic erasure of women from public life.
Health issues, depression, anxiety
The restrictions imposed by the Taliban have also had detrimental effects on women's health and well-being, the NYT report added.
Access to healthcare has become increasingly difficult, with many female healthcare workers barred from practicing and women facing obstacles in seeking medical treatment.
The lack of access to education and employment has led to increased poverty and dependency, while the confinement to domestic spaces has contributed to mental health issues, including depression and anxiety.
International organisations have condemned the Taliban's policies as violations of human rights.
This is a gender apartheid: UN
The United Nations has described the situation as gender apartheid, highlighting the systematic nature of the discrimination faced by women and girls in Afghanistan. Human rights groups have documented numerous cases of abuse and have called for accountability and international intervention to protect the rights of Afghan women.
Despite these oppressive conditions, Afghan women continue to resist in remarkable ways.
Many organise underground schools for girls, engage in covert activism, and use digital platforms to raise awareness of their plight.
Protests and advocacy campaigns, although often met with threats or violence, reflect the resilience and determination of women to claim their rights. International human rights organisations continue to document these struggles, emphasising the need for sustained global attention and support.
Taliban 1.0 and Taliban 2.0: A comparison
Despite attempts to portray Taliban 2.0 as more moderate, it largely continues the policies of its predecessor, Taliban 1.0, according to a research paper.
Women are still barred from working, and girls beyond the sixth grade are prohibited from attending school. Religious and ethnic minorities face discrimination and are excluded from decision-making.
Despite international pressure to restrict the free movement of terrorist groups — and Taliban assurances to comply — the regime has maintained its ties with these organisations.
