An intersex Afghan woman was forced into marriage and beaten for not bearing a child
This narrative was told to Zan Times journalist: I never wanted to get married. From the very beginning, my marriage was more of a transaction than a personal choice. My mother told my aunt to…
Keep reading
There’s a War on Women in Afghanistan.
Sign up today to receive our free, weekly newsletter — because knowing is the first step to resisting.
Every Friday, our ZanTimes Weekly Newsletter brings you:
- A curated digest of the most important human rights news on Afghanistan
- A personal note from the Editor-in-Chief
- Links to our latest stories from the frontlines
Join our community to stay informed
Reports
‘There can be no trace of me’: Afghan women pushed out of media
When officials from the Taliban’s Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice stopped Kulsum on a street in western Afghanistan, she was not working for a…
Keep reading
Afghan women: The largest imprisoned population in the world
This year marks the fourth International Women’s Day in which the Taliban have imprisoned Afghan women and girls inside their…
Keep readingOpinion
The Herat massacre in the shadow of the Taliban’s anti-Shia policy
On Friday, April 10, 2026, armed men opened fire on Shia civilians in the village of Dahmiri, in Injil district of Herat province, killing and injuring dozens, according to local…
Keep reading
Interviews
Interview with Hajar Hussaini, Whiting Award Winner of 2026
Hajar Hussaini is an Afghan poet and translator based in the United States. In 2004, she was 13 when she returned to Kabul with her family from Iran. She lived…
Keep reading
Narrative
‘I too have endured this pain’: A letter to the women taken to Haji Camp
The police came for us at 2 p.m. on April 21. The nightmare that had followed me for a year and a half was no longer something to be feared…
Keep reading
Arts & Culture
A life as wide as the courtyard: A review of ‘Let Me Write to You’
The story Let Me Write to You by Nahid Mehregan takes place in the city of Herat during the first Taliban rule. The novel narrates the lives of several women…
Keep reading
You must be logged in to post a comment.