Afghan women rise up against the Taliban

Words: Natalie Wolfe Producer: Bianca Mastroianni

The Taliban is battling a new revolution from the women they seek to oppress, with thousands of Afghans taking to social media to fight for their freedom.

The Taliban swept back to power in Afghanistan midway through 2021, reimposing its notoriously strict interpretation of Sharia law on the Afghan people. WHAT’S HAPPENING IN AFGHANISTAN?

Under the militant group’s new laws, women are now only allowed to attend university if classes are segregated by sex. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR WOMEN?

Women in Afghanistan must now wear an abaya robe and niqab, covering the whole body and face, save for a slit for the eyes. WHAT ABOUT THEIR DRESS CODE?

HOW DID THE PROTEST START? Earlier this year, around 300 women were photographed sitting in a university hall wearing head-to-toe black hijabs in accordance with strict new dress policies for women.

Bahar Jalali, an Afghan-American historian, saw Afghan women return to this way of dressing when the Taliban took back control, and wanted to speak out against it.

Ms Jalali launched a social media campaign and hashtag #DoNotTouchMyClothes to highlight the vibrant colours of traditional Afghan clothes.

Thousands of women have heeded the protest call, posting photos of themselves in beautiful traditional Afghan clothes.

“I was very concerned that the world would think that those clothing worn by those women was traditional Afghan clothing. I don’t want our heritage to be misrepresented.” Bahar Jalali _

The Taliban was first in power in Afghanistan between 1996 and 2001, notorious for imposing its strict interpretation of sharia law.

That law forbade women from leaving the house without a man, and also meant women could not leave home unless they were completely covered by a burka.

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