“Justice! Justice! We are tired of ignorance,” shouted the woman outside the Ministry of Education. “Bread, work and freedom.”
Many of the approximately 40 women appeared provocatively without veils and some did not wear burqas.
The protest didn’t last long. The Taliban immediately dispersed the women by firing their weapons into the air. The militants beat those who fled to nearby shops with their rifles.
Since taking power on August 15, 2021, the militants have moved to drastically curtail women’s rights in the country. Many of the protesters also changed “August 15th is a black day.”
Despite promises of reform, the Taliban have moved to limit educational opportunities for women and have taken away many government jobs. In March, they banned secondary education for girls, and in May, the country’s top leader, Himbatullah Akhundzada, ruled that women should not be seen outside unless they are fully covered.
Taliban insurgents fired bullets in response at Afghan women protesters in Kabul.WAKIL KOHSAR/AFP via Getty Images Taliban leaders forced women to be fully clothed outside.WAKIL KOHSAR/AFP via Getty Images
