This investigative report was jointly prepared by Femena, RaviZan and the Afghanistan
Women’s Justice Movement.
Following the collapse of the Republic on 24 Asad 1400 (15 August 2021), much
of Afghanistan’s legal and protection infrastructure was transformed, and citizens’
fundamental rights were severely restricted. Women became more vulnerable than others
and were pushed out of public life and into the confines of their homes. Women and
girls lost their rights to freedom, choice, self-determination, and many other fundamental
rights. Even secondary education for girls was banned. This situation drove many women,
who had grown up believing in human rights values and had worked in legal, political, and
civil society structures, into the streets to protest. Afghanistan’s major cities, including
Kabul, Herat, and Balkh, witnessed many of these demonstrations.
This report examines what happened to women protesters after they opposed the
Taliban’s policies and the conditions in which those who fled to Iran and Pakistan to
escape threats are now living.
For this report, seven women activists and protesters were interviewed. Four have
experience living in Pakistan; one was returned to Afghanistan from Iran; one was recently
relocated from Pakistan to a third country; and one continues to live in Afghanistan under
Taliban threats.
BETWEEN REPRESSION AND EXILE: The Fate of Afghan Women Protesters in a Cycle of Threats and Forced Return
