Femicide warning: Afghanistan
- Genocide Watch
- 2 hours ago
- 3 min read
By Michał Jagielski
The nationwide internet shutdown in Afghanistan on Sept. 29, 2025 was another instance of the Taliban’s unrelenting campaign against the Afghan people, especially women. Since the Taliban takeover in August 2021, Afghan women have faced a steady erosion of their rights and freedoms. In March 2022, Emir Hibatullah Akhundzada reversed the decision to allow girls into secondary schools. In November, he reintroduced public punishments, banned women from public spaces, and shut down businesses run by or created for women. In December 2022, women were officially prohibited from attending universities and banned from working in NGOs. Only girls under the age of 12 are allowed to attend classes. Afghanistan is the only country in the world where women are barred from attaining an education. Furthermore, the Taliban shut down the Ministry of Women’s Affairs in September 2021. On July 8, 2025, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Taliban leaders based on crimes against humanity and persecution of women. The United Nations has described the situation in Afghanistan as a “gender apartheid.”
The internet shutdown began on Sept. 16, 2025, in the Balkh Province. The government cited “combating immorality” as the reason for cutting access to fiber internet. Soon, several other provinces were affected, followed by a nationwide shutdown on Sept. 29. Using mobile data is not a sustainable replacement for fiber internet: five GB of internet costs 400 afghanis, around 20% of the average monthly income. The government claimed that the outage was a result of technical issues, not a direct command. However, simultaneously, the Taliban have been working towards restricting access to 3G and 4G mobile services.
The restoration of internet access began on Oct. 1, but even a temporary shutdown sets a dangerous precedent for the future. Limiting access to the web damages the operational capabilities of crucial institutions such as schools, banks, and hospitals. Without access to the internet, women become imprisoned in their homes, both physically and digitally. Many women have been forced to work remotely due to the barbaric laws introduced by the Taliban. In the face of the education ban, thousands of Afghan women enrolled in online university and language courses, trying to combat the Taliban’s systematic attempts to erase their independence. Their community relations are further restricted as free communication becomes impossible.
Deteriorating life conditions, dwindling economy, and lack of upward social mobility put Afghan women in a perilous position. Under severe restrictions to education, employment, and, potentially, the internet, Afghan women are excluded from public life and forced to live in the confines of their own homes.
Genocide Watch considers the oppressive Taliban policies towards women to constitute Stage 3: Discrimination, Stage 5: Organization and Stage 8: Persecution.
Genocide Watch recommends:
The recognition of the Taliban government by the international community should be conditioned on the immediate restoration of women’s access to education, employment, and digital communication.
The United Nations should recognize the Taliban’s systemic targeting of women as gender persecution and gender apartheid under international law.
Tech firms to explore safe, humanitarian pathways for satellite-based connectivity, ensuring women’s access to the internet.
