KABUL: A rare public demonstration by Afghan women in the capital on Wednesday ended in violence, with two protesters reportedly killed by Taliban security forces. The protest, which demanded the restoration of women’s rights and access to education, marks a significant challenge to the de facto authorities since their return to power in 2021.
Witnesses reported that the demonstration began peacefully in the morning near the Ministry of Education, with approximately 50 women chanting slogans and holding placards. Within hours, Taliban security personnel arrived and ordered the crowd to disperse. When the women refused, live fire was used. Two women were fatally wounded, and several others were injured or detained. The Taliban ministry of interior has not confirmed the deaths but stated that “unlawful assemblies” would be dealt with “according to sharia law.”
The protest comes amid growing international scrutiny of the Taliban’s treatment of women. Since seizing control, the group has barred girls from secondary education, restricted women’s employment, and mandated full-body coverings in public. The United Nations has condemned these policies, describing them as “gender apartheid.”
Analysts view the demonstration as a rare act of civil disobedience in an environment where dissent is swiftly suppressed. “The Taliban’s legitimacy rests on their ability to impose order,” said Dr. Farrah Hussain, a political scientist at the University of Oxford. “A public protest by women, the most oppressed group, directly challenges that narrative.”
The protest organisers, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal, said they were inspired by a similar demonstration in Herat last month. “We are not afraid. Our rights are non-negotiable,” one organiser stated in a message via encrypted app.
International reaction has been swift. The British Foreign Office issued a statement condemning the violence, calling for an independent investigation. The United States State Department said it was “deeply disturbed” by the reports. The European Union’s foreign policy chief urged the Taliban to “cease the use of force against peaceful protesters.”
The Taliban have not issued a formal comment on the casualties. Their interior ministry spokesman, Abdul Mateen Qani, told Reuters that “security forces acted professionally” and that an investigation was underway. However, the family of one of the deceased told local media they had been denied access to the body.
This incident underscores the fragile state of women’s rights in Afghanistan. Despite promises of a more moderate rule when they first took Kabul, the Taliban have systematically dismantled gains made over two decades. The protest and its violent outcome may further isolate the regime internationally, complicating any prospects for diplomatic recognition.
For now, the streets of Kabul remain tense. Security has been tightened around government buildings. But the defiant voices of the women who marched, and those who died, will be difficult to silence.
