After taking the capital of Kabul in 1996, the group has ruled over the country with the utmost authority, the Taliban, an Afghan militant group that follows fundamentals of Islam, have been ruling over Afghanistan. However, in recent years, the Taliban has used their influence to restrict women’s rights in Afghanistan, often using Islam as a justification for doing so.

It started in August of 2021, when they declared a ban on co-education and stopped men from teaching girls. Not even two weeks later, on September 12, girls were banned from receiving secondary education. At the start of 2022, the Taliban closed down blind girls’ schools in both Nangarhar and Kunar. Then in March, they announced the reopening of girls’ schools, but said that schools for girl in 7th grade or higher would remain closed. Later in June of the same year, the group required all girls going to school to wear face coverings or be expelled.

But these laws haven’t just limited women in education. Women in Afghanistan are facing eradication from media as well. There are laws in place banning women from being in TV shows and requiring all female presenters and TV guests to cover their faces. The most recent law passed is now women are forbidden from speaking in public, especially to other women, forever changing the Afghani society.

While it can be easy to think that these laws are far away and don’t affect us, if it can happen there, it can happen anywhere. For more information, the United States Institute of Peace has created an interactive map tracking the restrictions the Taliban has placed on women.