You have reached the limit of 2 free articles this month. Five years after the collapse of the Afghan Republic and the withdrawal of U.S. and NATO forces, a growing trend on social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram portrays Afghanistan as a welcoming, pristine "hidden gem." Travel influencers, including women, have been documenting their visits to bustling markets in Kabul and scenic mountain regions, urging their audiences to disregard negative media reports about the country. To the Taliban authorities, these foreign visitors serve as a valuable public relations tool, helping to project an image of a nation that is stable, secure, and open for business.
However, for the women residing in Afghanistan, the reality remains starkly different. Since September 2021, the Taliban has prohibited girls from attending school beyond the 6th grade. Furthermore, women have been largely excluded from professional roles in government offices and non-governmental organizations. The restrictions intensified in December 2022 when the Taliban issued an indefinite ban on women attending both public and private universities, despite many having recently sat for entrance exams.
The legal framework for these restrictions was solidified in August 2024 with the enactment of a 114-page law titled "Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice." This legislation mandates that women must fully cover their faces in public and prohibits them from speaking aloud, singing, or reciting outside of their homes. Beyond these social restrictions, the United Nations estimates that roughly 28 million Afghans—three out of four people—struggle to meet basic daily needs. With over 64 percent of the population experiencing multidimensional poverty, many are systematically deprived of adequate food, clean water, housing, and essential medicine.
In an effort to move beyond the perspectives of foreign travelers, this report features the voices of Afghan women, facilitated by Rukhshana Media and local contacts. Many of these women have requested anonymity and the alteration of their names due to fears of retaliation. They describe a deep disconnect between the curated images seen by the outside world and their own experience of erasure. Rukhshana Media is currently fundraising to continue paying their team of 10 brave reporters who work secretly inside Afghanistan to document the truth of life under the Taliban.
Online influencers are framing Afghanistan as a a beautiful, welcoming “hidden gem.” That may be true for tourists – but what about the women who live there?
“Don’t believe what the media tells you about Afghanistan.”
