Taliban Imposes Nationwide Internet Shutdown Severely Impacting Afghan Women and Essential Services

Since the Taliban's return to power in Afghanistan in 2021, Afghan women have faced escalating restrictions that have stripped them of education, employment, and basic freedoms, culminating in a recent nationwide internet shutdown. This digital blackout, authorized by Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada, has severed the last remaining lifeline for many women, including students and professionals like Fahima Noori, who had relied on online education and remote work opportunities to maintain some independence and hope. The shutdown has also disrupted essential services such as flights, banking, and telecommunications, leaving the country almost entirely cut off from the outside world. International organizations, including the United Nations, have condemned the internet restrictions as a violation of freedom of expression and a severe impediment during humanitarian crises. The blackout has effectively silenced women’s voices and ambitions, extinguishing their ability to learn, work, and connect globally, and forcing many into isolation and inactivity within their homes. The Taliban's justification for the shutdown as a measure to "prevent immorality" remains vague, while the impact continues to deepen the country's humanitarian and social crises.