Stripping students of religious freedom in the Taliban’s war on universities
With the start of the 2026–27 academic year, the Taliban Ministry of Higher Education has once again compelled university students to sign a 14-point pledge. The contents of this pledge – had drawn some public…
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Reports
Children killed and families displaced in Pakistan–Taliban conflict
Children were playing outside in the village of Hijratabad when the rockets came. It was just before noon on March 2. Some families had only returned that morning to their…
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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…
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Thirst and inequality: How Afghanistan’s water crisis affects women
World Water Day is one of the United Nations’ international observances dedicated to highlighting the importance of freshwater. Since 1993, it has been observed on March 22 and is designed…
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Interviews
“They beat me until I lost my child”: An Afghan woman protester’s story of defiance
After the Taliban returned to power in 2021, Afghan women were among the first to take to the streets in protest demanding the right to work and education. Hamasa, who…
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Narrative
Letter from a Zan Times journalist, recipient of the IWMF courage in journalism award
I am a girl who was born and lives in a very conservative and traditional province of Afghanistan. In this province, even during the past 20 years, women rarely had…
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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…
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