Fahima Noori had big dreams when she graduated from university in Afghanistan. She studied law, graduated from a midwifery programme, and even worked in a mental health clinic. But all that was taken away when the Taliban swept into power in 2021, banning girls over 12 from education, restricting job options for women, and removing books authored by women from universities.
For Fahima, the internet was her last lifeline to the outside world. I recently enrolled in an online university [and] I had hoped to finish my studies and find an online job, she said. However, that lifeline was cut off when the Taliban imposed an indefinite nationwide internet shutdown. Our last hope was online learning. Now that dream has been destroyed, she said.
The situation for Afghan women worsened significantly over the past weeks as the Taliban began severing fiber-optic connections, claiming it was to prevent immorality. The current total internet blackout has left essential services paralyzed, with reports indicating that international news agencies have lost contact with their offices in Kabul.
Many Afghan women, such as students and teachers, are struggling with the abrupt halt to internet access. Shakiba, a midwifery student, expressed that the internet was her only hope left after her educational programme was banned, adding, When I heard the internet had been cut, the world felt dark to me.
Teachers like Zabi, who had transitioned to online education, are also facing dire consequences. He lamented about students missing important exams due to the blackout. The Taliban has indicated that it may develop alternative internet access options but provided no concrete details.
As Afghan society locks down further under the Taliban's rule, many fear the implications for their futures are increasingly dark.
