In brief
The Taliban's recent nationwide internet shutdown has shattered the hopes of many Afghan women who relied on online education and job opportunities. With educational restrictions imposed by the government since 2021, women like Fahima Noori and Shakiba have seen their aspirations extinguished, as their last means of learning has been taken away. The shutdown has also disrupted businesses and essential services, crippling the already struggling economy.
Fahima Noori had big dreams when she graduated from university in Afghanistan. She had 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 the age of 12 from education, severely restricting job options for women, and even removing books written by women from universities.
For Fahima, the internet was her last lifeline to the outside world, as she enrolled in an online university with hopes of completing her studies and finding online work. This hope was tragically dashed when the Taliban imposed a nationwide internet shutdown, which is set to last indefinitely.
She lamented, Our last hope was online learning. Now [even] that dream has been destroyed. This sentiment was echoed across the country as the internet blackout paralyzed essential services, disrupted contact with international news agencies, mobile networks, and even satellite TV.
Over the past weeks, the Taliban had started severing fibre-optic internet connections across provinces, justified by claims of preventing immorality. Now, Afghanistan faces a total internet blackout, leaving many like Shakiba, a student from the northern province of Tahkar, without access to online learning. She remarked, We want to study... When I heard that the internet had been cut, the world felt dark to me.
Since taking power, the Taliban has imposed stringent restrictions in line with their interpretation of Islam, including banning educational programmes for women and even outlawing teaching about human rights. They have now removed around 140 books by women, citing anti-Sharia concerns.
Teachers have not been spared either; Zabi, who transitioned to online teaching after the Taliban restricted physical educational institutes, saw his students' future dashed when the internet was cut off mid-exam. He faced desperate calls from his students, all feeling hopeless as their last chance at education has vanished.
While mobile data remains an option for some, the costs are prohibitive for most in a country where the average per capita income stands at a mere $306. The Taliban has offered no official explanation for the shutdown and is yet to provide an alternative for internet access, leaving many Afghans, particularly women seeking education, in despair.
