Sakia Mohammadi is nervous. In a small room high above the Afghan capital Kabul, she is sitting in front of a cup of green tea on an early summer morning. She has laid her headscarf over a chair and rolled up the sleeves of her long black robe. “This is one of the few places where I am still free,” says Mohammadi.
At first, she still had hope when the Taliban took power in Afghanistan again in the summer of 2021. Although the new Islamists issued strict dress codes, they initially rarely interfered in the daily lives of the population and the universities also remained open.
“I thought maybe it wouldn’t be that bad,” she says.
The 24-year-old, whose real name is different but who is referred to as Mohammadi in this text to protect herself, was actually studying business administration at Kabul University in her fourth semester. Her dream: to go into politics after graduating and run for the Afghan parliament. She wanted to implement her own ideas in order to support women across the country. But there is not much hope left. More than ever, the new rulers have recently restricted the rights of women and girls and implemented their brutal policies with increasing rigidity.
The Taliban took the heads off female mannequins and closed secondary schools and universities for girls and women. They banned visits to amusement parks, public swimming pools and fitness studios, and most recently the operation of beauty salons, one of the last remaining public meeting places for women. Today, the guards of the Ministry of Morals are once again increasing their control over compliance with the dress code on the streets of Kabul. “Our freedom is dwindling a little more every day,” says Mohammadi.
She now employs several women who can support their families with their wages
But unlike many of her fellow students, she does not want to leave the country. “The women need me here,” she says. Shortly after the Taliban came to power, she founded her own fashion label and designed her own traditional Afghan clothes, initially at home and later in a small office, which she now sells via social media platforms. She now employs several women as seamstresses, who in turn can support their families with the wages she pays them.
Her customers, mainly Afghan emigrants, live all over the world, but mainly in Australia, where her older sister has been living for several years. “They buy my traditional clothes for weddings and other occasions,” she says. She sends the clothes to Sydney with DHL, where her sister sells them on. The money ultimately comes back to Afghanistan via the Hawala system, an unofficial network of money changers that is widespread in Islamic countries.
Officially they learn sewing and tailoring, but in reality they learn mathematics and English
The Taliban still tolerate women working independently at home and even promote their craft work at the Women’s Chamber of Commerce in Kabul. But Mohammadi still does not want an official license for her business. She does not want to make a big fuss about her business, and she runs her Instagram account anonymously to market it. She uses the proceeds from the clothing at private meetings to support the education of girls who are not allowed to go to school. “Officially, we teach them sewing and tailoring,” she explains with a smile, “but in reality they learn math or English.”
According to UNESCO, at least 1.4 million girls are likely to be affected by the school bans. Hundreds of thousands of women are believed to have been banned from universities. To date, the Taliban only allow isolated training courses, for example in the medical field.
Mohammadi does not believe that the Taliban will ever fundamentally change their policies
The restrictions are not without controversy even within the Taliban. In the past, high-ranking representatives such as Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani have repeatedly spoken out in favor of opening schools and universities, as long as this is done in accordance with Sharia law. This is one of the reasons why the implementation of the bans varies to this day in some regions of the country. In some places, for example, schools are open to girls, depending on the interpretation of the local Taliban commander.
However, Mohammadi does not believe that the Taliban will ever fundamentally change their policies. Almost all of her friends have now left the country or are suffering from depression and anxiety, she says. The feeling of insecurity and arbitrariness is everywhere. “They despise us women, that will never change,” she says.
