BAHARIN LEHIB

Afghanistan- Since the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan on August 15, 2021, women have faced systemic gender oppression in Afghanistan. Public floggings, prison sentences, moral crimes and even sexual violence are used against women to silence them. This systemic gender oppression makes women resist more, instead of breaking women's determination to resist.

Women lead resistances

In patriarchal societies, women are the most oppressed. Although being oppressed, they lead resistances. For instance, women led the “Women, Life, Freedom” uprising in Iran and the fight against ISIS in Kobanê. Our history is full of stories showing how women lead resistances. Afghan women also lead the resistance in their country against the oppressive rule of the Taliban.

She flogged in public for going to a doctor with her brother-in-law

More than 1,000 people, at least 200 of whom were women, have been humiliated in public floggings since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, the Guardian said in a report on May 6, 2025.

Nazia Wali, 28, was one of the 200 women. Nazia was sick and went to a doctor one summer day with her brother-in-law. On their way, their vehicle was stopped by the Taliban’s “morality police”. They were arrested and Nazia spent four days in jail. She was then sentenced to 30 lashes. She was brutally flogged in public by the Taliban after being accused of “moral crimes”. After 10 nights in prison, she was handed over to her family. Since then, she has had terrible nightmares, like thousands of other Afghan women. Now, she tries to return to normal life with the support of her family.

‘The Taliban aim to spread fear’

“In November 2022, Taliban leader Haibatullah Akhundzada ordered Afghan judges to impose punishments for certain crimes that may include public amputations and stoning. Since then, hundreds of men and women have been flogged in public in the country,” Fawzia Koofi said in a phone interview with NuJINHA.

“The Taliban aim to spread fear. Without foreign financial support, the Taliban regime will collapse overnight, like the Ashraf Ghani’s regime. Afghan people, especially brave Afghan women, will play a decisive role in the collapse of the Taliban’s regime.”

‘Women do not remain silent’

Afghan women do not remain silent despite violence, imprisonment and humiliation faced by them, Fawzia Koofi emphasized. “Afghan women do not fear the Taliban; they challenge the Taliban government by resisting. The stories of women, who were brutally flogged in public by the Taliban, show that women are ready to pay any price for dignity, justice, and freedom. The resistance of the Afghan women and men against the Taliban will bear fruit sooner or later.”