Afghanistan

Returnees cross the border from Iran, on July 3, 2025 in Islam Qala, Afghanistan. Over 256,000 Afghans left Iran for Afghanistan last month, according to the UN's International Organisation for Migration (IOM), ahead of a July 6 deadline imposed by the Iranian government for all undocumented Afghans to leave the country. The number of Afghans in Iran had swelled in recent years after the Taliban regained control of the country in 2021. © Elise Blanchard/Getty Images

Iran: “Hatred Towards Afghans Has Grown So Much”

Migrants accused of spying for Israel as mass deportations continue.

4 Jul 25

Since the Taliban takeover of the country in 2021 the female population have had to quit jobs and young girls can no longer go to school or complete further education. © Nava Jamshidi/Getty Images

Afghanistan: “The Taliban Took All My Dreams Away”

Women’s exclusion from the Afghan media space has meant that issues critical to women go unreported.

2 May 25

Reporters for Tolo News cover their faces as they attend an editorial meeting at Tolo TV station in Kabul on May 22, 2022. © WAKIL KOHSAR/AFP via Getty Images

Afghanistan’s Freedom of Expression Void

The few women still working in media face especially harsh scrutiny.

29 Nov 24

Water scarcity is an increasingly troubling issue across Afghanistan, especially for women and girls. © Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Afghan Women Bear Brunt of Drought Burden

Looming crisis weighs heavy on those most often responsible for sourcing water to meet their household’s needs.

10 Oct 24

International summit on women’s rights in Afghanistan saw more than 120 activists, journalists, and artists gather in the Albanian capital Tirana for three days of intense discussion and debate. © Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs of Albania

Divisions Emerge Within Afghan Women’s Rights Movement

Issue of direct negotiations with the Taleban proves contentious point among campaigners.

3 Oct 24

Exiled Afghan journalists continue to face major difficulties in continuing their work, despite huge efforts by diaspora media outlets to ensure reporting from within the country continues. © Paula Bronstein/Getty Images

Afghan Journalists in Exile: “Like Swimming in a Swamp”

Reporters working in the diaspora face major challenges, despite huge efforts to ensure reporting from within the country continues.

16 Aug 24

Women cover their faces when walking down a street on August 14, 2022 in Kabul, Afghanistan. © Nava Jamshidi/Getty Images

Afghanistan: Weaponising Sexual Harassment

The lack of legal protection under the Taleban means that harassment and discrimination are effectively forcing women out of the workplace.

23 Jul 24

The Taleban’s Deadly Toll on Women Midwives and Doctors

Medical personnel struggle to do their jobs - and patients suffer - under increasingly draconian rules.  

14 Jun 24

In this picture taken on September 8, 2021, Afghan newspaper Etilaat Roz journalists Nematullah Naqdi (R) and Taqi Daryabi sit in their office after being released from Taliban custody in Kabul. - Two Afghan journalists have shown off ugly welts and bruises after being beaten and detained for hours by Taliban fighters for covering a protest in the Afghan capital. © WAKIL KOHSAR/AFP via Getty Images

Afghanistan: Journalism Amid the Darkness

Despite brutal repression, independent outlets continue to provide a rare and precious source of information.

1 May 24

Women cover their faces when walking down a street on August 14, 2022 in Kabul, Afghanistan. After the Taliban takeover of the country in August 2021 the female population have had to quit jobs and young girls after the age of 12 can no longer go to school or complete further education. © Nava Jamshidi/Getty Images

Afghanistan: “I Have Learned to Never Give Up”

What helps me keep going is my belief in our mission to empower women journalists to report on what is happening under the Taleban.

8 Mar 24

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