Taliban Shut Down Women’s Sewing Workshops in Panjshir

Local sources in Panjshir province confirm that the Taliban’s Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice has shut down two women’s sewing training workshops in the Rukh district. These workshops were established with support from the World Food Programme to provide vocational training and strengthen family economies, with more than 50 women participating.

According to sources, Taliban officials told the participants and organizers that the training programs run by foreign organizations are not intended to support women but, as they claim, are designed to “unveil women.” However, the educational content of these workshops focused solely on sewing skills and empowering women economically.

The World Food Programme runs various educational and livelihood projects in many areas of Afghanistan for vulnerable families. In Rukh district, these two workshops were part of efforts to create home-based work opportunities for women.

The closure of these workshops is part of the Taliban’s broader restrictions imposed on women’s education, employment, and social activities since returning to power. Similar training programs for women have been previously halted in several provinces, raising concerns about the shrinking scope of women’s social and economic participation.