Human Rights Watch Warns of Taliban’s Expanding Control Over Professional Women’s Activities
Human Rights Watch has announced that the Taliban administration’s policies and directives against women are not limited to within Afghanistan; there are signs of efforts to restrict their voices outside the country as well. The organization states that controlling women’s narratives and media presence is part of a broader approach to curb their social and professional roles.
Fereshta Abbasi, a researcher on Afghanistan at Human Rights Watch, said in a report that while collaborating with a local media outlet outside Afghanistan, she was asked to have a man speak about her work instead of herself. According to her, this request followed guidelines attributed to institutions affiliated with the Taliban administration.
She added that under these directives, Afghan women even abroad face restrictions when appearing in the media, such as specific dress codes and conditions for speaking. She believes such practices undermine women’s professional identity and create obstacles solely based on their gender.
Human Rights Watch emphasized in this report that this trend indicates the Taliban administration is attempting to extend its control over women’s voices beyond Afghanistan’s borders—a move that raises serious concerns about freedom of expression and fundamental women’s rights.
Abbasi also described the situation of women inside Afghanistan as “severely restricted,” stating that women have been barred from continuing higher education and excluded from many social and professional fields. She noted that in some areas, even female journalists are not allowed to operate, and the presence or voice of women in audio-visual media has sharply declined.
Human Rights Watch considers these policies part of a systematic structure of restricting women that is observable both within Afghanistan and in transnational interactions—a process that, according to the organization, requires serious attention and response from the international community.
