To commemorate Women’s History Month, the Afghanistan Policy Lab (APL) at the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs (SPIA) has once again sought to highlight the situation and living conditions of women in Afghanistan. Afghan women, who continue to endure the Taliban’s restrictive rule, deserve the utmost admiration—not only for their strength to survive but for their resilience in navigating immense challenges and refusing to give up.
Each year, APL has been deeply moved by the stories of Afghan women from different parts of the country—women whose courage and determination embody true heroism. Their voices must be heard, their stories must be shared, and APL is proud to provide a platform to bring them the recognition they deserve. These women share powerful accounts of resilience, bravery, and an unwavering determination to persevere despite oppressive circumstances.
Since the Taliban’s return to power, they have systematically banned girls and women from schools, universities, employment, parks, gyms, public spaces, and businesses - including beauty salons. Until recently, private health institutions represented the only remaining avenue for women to pursue education beyond sixth grade. However, in December of 2024, the Taliban—acting under directives from their supreme leader, Haibatullah Akhundzada—ordered the shutdown of private midwifery institutions.
This latest ban has met with widespread condemnation both within Afghanistan and around the globe. Images and videos circulating on social media depict women, fully covered in hijabs, weeping as they are denied entry to classrooms—places that once held the last sparkles of hope for educational advancement. Many of these women turned to private institutions in an effort to continue their studies, even within an overwhelmingly restrictive environment.
Adding to these measures, the Taliban’s Ministry of Economy issued a stern warning earlier this month, threatening to revoke licenses of both national and international NGOs that continue to employ Afghan women. This announcement reiterates an earlier directive issued two years ago, ordering all nongovernmental organizations to suspend the employment of women.
Today, Afghanistan stands as the only country where girls and women are systematically barred from schooling and excluded from nearly every sphere of social, public, and economic life. There is currently no indication that Taliban authorities intend to reverse these policies or restore Afghan women and girls’ fundamental rights. To bring attention to these challenges, APL is marking Women’s History Month by publishing the eighth series of stories featuring eight Afghan women who live in different parts of the country and continue to stay and survive, to fight and respond, and to never lose hope.
Disclaimer: These interviews were conducted virtually, and all respondent identifiers were removed to ensure confidentiality.
Aarzo’s Fight for Girls and Women
“We look forward to the day when we have schools and universities re-open, and women are free to work.”
Aarzo, a 25-year-old doctor and social activist, is a beacon of resilience in Afghanistan. Amidst the Taliban’s oppressive policies restricting women, she continues to serve her community on multiple fronts—providing health care services and awareness raising, training young women in nursing and midwifery, and actively engaging in women’s community associations through media platforms.
The Taliban’s return to power had a drastic impact on her life. It stripped her of economic opportunities and her basic rights. Despite all, she has refused to surrender and continues her efforts ato make a difference in her community.
Living in one of the most underdeveloped parts of the country, Aarzo holds a medical degree and has been engaged with the local community for the past four years. Through her clinic and community engagement programs, she reaches thousands of women offering medical advice, prescriptions and entrepreneurship.
Voluntarily, she trains young women in basic midwifery and nursing. With formal education for women being banned and an enforced gender segregation at the workplace, Aarzo’s informal training is one of the few lifelines for aspiring female healthcare workers.
“In my province, there are no training facilities where women and girls in health, nursing and midwifery. In my clinic, I voluntarily train them to contribute as much as possible so they can learn and gain skills.,” she said with determination.
The Taliban’s repressive policies go beyond education. The economic opportunities have shrunk. Once home to hundreds of community engagement and educational associations, such engagement almost stopped.
Aarzo and her colleagues continue their work voluntarily, engaging through awareness programs covering critical topics such as mental health, suicide prevention, reproductive health, nutrition, and seasonal diseases.
According to Aarzo, the economic crisis has exacerbated the plight of Afghan women. Educated and skilled women, many of whom are the sole providers for their families, are forced to take on whatever work they can find, regardless of their qualifications.
“The Taliban’s rule has caused significant economic, social, and mental problems for the people in our province, especially for women. In the last three and a half years, we have had suicide cases among young women which are not reported. The reasons that we later learned from their families were stress, anxiety, economic issues, and the lack of educational and employment opportunities. Women with master’s and bachelor’s degrees are forced to sit at home as there are no work opportunities where they are willing to do any job as most of them are the sole breadwinners for their families. There will be very few women hopeful for their future as the situation for women is getting worse,” she added.
The Taliban’s recent order to shutdown private midwifery institutions, which until December 2024, served as the only remaining avenue for women to pursue education beyond the sixth grade, led to severe frustration among the women in Afghanistan.
“Private health institutions provided a window of learning for most women in her province. Young women who graduated from different other fields started learning midwifery, nursing, and other health-related courses in these private institutions until they were banned in December 2024. That was a huge disappointment for the women. I know many girls who were disappointed when they learned those doors were closed,” she stated.
Currently, online learning has become the only alternative—yet even though this is out of reach for most—and seems to be working in the absence of actual schools and universities. When asked about online educational platforms, she said:
“I myself am learning languages and computer courses via online platforms. However, online platforms cannot replace the in-person method of learning. Most of the people in our province are not able to feed their families. Not every girl can afford the internet, smartphones, or a computer. But it is still an option.”
Aarzo expressed deep frustration over the Islamic world’s stance for not raising the issue of women and girls when engaging with the Taliban. She highlighted that delegations from Islamic countries visiting Afghanistan failed to challenge the Taliban’s oppressive policies.
She added, “Politics should not come at the cost of human and Islamic rights. Look at our neighboring countries. In Iran girls and women are allowed to go to schools and universities. A woman can be a doctor, an artist, an engineer. Similarly in Pakistan, a woman can be the Prime Minister. Look at the examples of other Islamic countries such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and UAE where women are independent and are allowed to study and work.”
Aarzo believed the Taliban’s representation of Islam tarnished the global image of religion. She stated that their misogynist and dehumanizing policies towards women represented their narrow mindset alone. Aarzo said that, “Islam does not imprison women to their homes and stops them from learning and working.” She ended: “According to the Taliban even voices of women are banned.” Aarzo highlighted the devastating impact of canceled educational scholarships for Afghan girls in Pakistan. Many young women passed the test and received acceptance letters. Later, they were informed that Taliban cancelled those scholarships.
Aarzo also criticized some of the international organizations operating in Afghanistan.
“All they do is publishing quarterly reports while turning a blind eye to the suffering of women and girls.”
Despite all that is happening, Aarzo is still determined and does not wish to give up.
Resilience Under Taliban Rule
"It is never too late to initiate a meaningful change"
Born with cerebral palsy in a society already challenging for women, Nadia grew up understanding that education would be her pathway to independence. Her family thought that knowledge was not just enrichment, but rather an essential element for survival. When the Taliban seized Afghanistan in August 2021, she immediately recognized the threat to everything she had built and believed in.
"As someone living with cerebral palsy, education has been my only means of changing the course of my life," Nadia explains.
The December 2023 decree banning women from universities struck her with devastating force. For Nadia, this wasn't simply an academic setback—it was an existential crisis that deepened her isolation and compounded the daily challenges she already faced as a woman with disadvantages in Afghanistan.
The psychological impact was severe. "These restrictions led to a serious mental health crisis as I was diagnosed with depression," she recounts. Her struggles have been magnified by Afghanistan's inadequate mental healthcare system, where resources are scarce and stigma pervasive. The intersecting barriers of disability, gender, and now depression have created layers of exclusion that seem insurmountable.
Yet Nadia refuses to be silenced. Through counselling and what she describes as "relentless determination," she has started to gradually rebuild her sense of purpose once again. "After two years of persistent efforts, I managed to regain my strength, motivation, and enthusiasm for academic pursuits," she says. Denied formal education, she has channelled her intellectual energy into creating an Anatomy Question Guidebook for medical students preparing for their board examinations.
For women with disabilities like Nadia, Taliban rule has created compounding forms of marginalization. "Out of financial necessity and exhaustion, I once attempted to teach at a school," she recalls, "but due to the young age of the students and their difficulty understanding my condition, continuing this became unfeasible for me."
Nadia's story shows the urgent need for an intersectional approach to Afghanistan's crisis. The fight for women's rights cannot be separated from disability justice, mental health advocacy, and broader human rights concerns. What Nadia is going through highlights that how Taliban policies not only eliminate opportunities for women, but it also reinforces societal prejudices that render women with disabilities particularly vulnerable.
For Nadia today, looking towards the future, she plans to launch a website sharing educational resources and study methods by creating accessibility where official spaces have been closed.
Her resilience challenges the notion that Afghan women, particularly those with disabilities, are victims awaiting rescue. She directly confronts the Taliban's religious justifications: "Nowhere in the Holy Quran does it state that women's education is forbidden; in fact, the pursuit of knowledge is an obligation for both men and women."
Despite the darkness in Afghanistan, Nadia remains resolute. "High-ranking officials must understand that Afghan women and girls will never surrender; they will fight for their rights until their last breath," she declares.
"The world is well aware of the Taliban's actions, and there is no need for me or anyone else to relay a message. Reality speaks for itself." To the international community, her message is both a challenge and invitation.