Afghan Women Protesters Burn Photos of Taliban Leaders in Defiance

A group of protesting women in a region of Afghanistan chanted “Death to the Taliban” and set fire to pictures of the group’s leaders, including Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada, the Taliban’s leader. This act was carried out in protest against the restrictive policies imposed by the Taliban administration on women and girls.

In recent months, this marks one of several similar protests by women, held secretly under challenging security conditions. The protesters stated that the continued restrictions on education, work, and public presence for women forced them to take such actions.

Since regaining control of Afghanistan, the Taliban administration has imposed extensive restrictions on women’s lives. According to reports from human rights organizations, women have been deprived of many fundamental rights, including higher education and employment in certain offices.

At the same time, the Taliban administration has banned any form of assemblies and protest marches and has repeatedly used strict measures to prevent demonstrations. In this environment, some women are striving to make their voices heard through underground and secret means.