In 2025, Afghan women continue to face one of the most oppressive regimes in the world. Since the Taliban’s return in 2021, restrictions have increased year after year. Despite international condemnation, the Taliban government has implemented a strict gender-apartheid-like system. Here’s a comprehensive look at the updated Taliban rules for women in 2025, how they’re enforced, and the quiet resistance that refuses to be extinguished.
🔴 Taliban’s Core Rules for Women in 2025
1. Complete Ban on Girls’ Education Beyond Grade 6
Girls are not allowed to attend school beyond the primary level.
Universities remain closed to women, and home-based learning has been declared illegal in most provinces.
🗣️ “Education for women is not necessary in Islam,” says a Taliban spokesperson— a claim refuted by Islamic scholars worldwide.
2. Strict Hijab Enforcement – Face Veil Mandatory
Women must wear a full-body burqa or niqab, covering the face.
Failure to comply may result in detainment of a male guardian, fines, or public shaming.
3. No Travel Without a Male Guardian (Mahram)
Women cannot travel more than 72 km (45 miles) without a male relative.
This includes work commutes, healthcare visits, or personal trips. Taxis and buses deny solo female passengers.
4. Employment Bans in Nearly All Sectors
Women are banned from government jobs, NGOs, media, education, and healthcare (except female-only hospitals).
A few exceptions exist in midwifery or female-specific clinics, but with tight Taliban oversight.
5. Media Blackout: Women Erased from Public Life
- Female faces are blurred on TV and in magazines
- Female voices banned from the radio
- No female presence in advertising or entertainment
Even mannequins in shops are beheaded or covered in cloth.
6. No Access to Parks, Gyms, or Public Spaces
Public parks, gyms, libraries, and cafes are closed to women.
Women found loitering can be detained and questioned by the “Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice”.
7. Marriage Restrictions and Forced Marriages Rising
With job and education bans, forced marriages (often to Taliban fighters) are on the rise.
The legal age for marriage remains undefined, enabling child marriages.
🟢 Resistance is Still Alive
Despite threats, brave Afghan women continue to resist:
- Secret schools operate underground
- Online activism continues anonymously through social media
- Protests, though rare and dangerous, still occur in Kabul and Herat
💬 “We will not be silent. Even if we can’t show our faces, our voices will be heard.” – Anonymous activist, Kabul 2025
🔵 Global Response (or Lack Thereof)
- UN calls it “gender apartheid”, but sanctions have limited effect
- Neighboring countries remain largely silent due to diplomatic interests
- Humanitarian aid often comes with no human rights conditions
🔚 Conclusion:
The Taliban’s rules for women in 2025 are not just conservative—they represent a systematic erasure of half the population. Yet, Afghan women continue to show strength, silence becoming their shield, education becoming their weapon, and the world’s conscience their last hope.
