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when they took control of afghanistan three years ago, taliban leaders promised that afghan women would continue to enjoy equal rights under islamic law, including the right to work and education. but now, afghanistan remains one of the worst places in the world for women: women cannot receive more than a sixth-grade education; cannot work in most workplaces; cannot enter public places such as parks, gyms and beauty salons; cannot travel long distances without a male relative; and cannot leave the house without covering from head to toe.

last month, the taliban issued a 114-page notice that formally established all previous decrees restricting women's rights as laws: it is illegal for women to speak out outside their homes. after the new law was promulgated, some people were desperate, some were angry, some spoke out publicly, and some protested secretly. one afghan woman even said: "i would rather die than live like this."

for shabana, the highlight of her daily life is going to a private english class in kabul. she and her friends take the bus to class, chatting and laughing, spending an hour a day learning something new - a brief respite from the emptiness of her life since the taliban took over afghanistan.

normally, shabana should be in her second year of high school and graduate next year to pursue her dream of a business degree. but since the taliban came to power three years ago, she, like all teenage girls, has been unable to receive any formal schooling.

"we are scared when we go out, even when we take the bus," shabana said. "we dare not take off our masks, or even talk to each other, for fear that the taliban may hear us and stop us for questioning."

on august 21, taliban supreme leader akhundzada approved the promulgation of the "vices and virtues law" to "fight vice and promote virtue". the law stipulates that women must wear veils and cover their bodies and faces in public at all times to avoid tempting others; clothes must not be too thin, too tight or too short. women should wear veils in front of all male strangers, including muslims, and in front of all non-muslim men to avoid being "defiled". women are prohibited from looking at men who are not related by blood or marriage. women's voices are considered private, so they should not sing or recite in public.

"if we can't speak, why should we live? we are like the walking dead," said shabana.

in afghanistan, women are not allowed to receive education beyond the 6th grade.

"when i found out about the new law, i decided not to even go to private english lessons because if i went out, i would end up talking and then, something bad might happen and i might not be able to get home safely. but then, my mom encouraged me to continue (taking lessons)."

in the three years since the taliban came to power, even without strict laws, people have spontaneously adjusted their behavior out of fear. a few women can still be seen on the streets of cities such as kabul, but now almost all women wear loose black clothes or dark blue burqas from head to toe, and most cover their faces, leaving only their eyes exposed, a decree issued last year.

"you feel like you're in prison every moment. it's even difficult to breathe here," said activist nausheen.

whenever new restrictions were announced, she joined a small group of women in marching through the streets of kabul and other cities to demand their rights. the protests were repeatedly violently suppressed by taliban forces until they stopped completely last year.

the taliban implemented a new law in august that prohibits women from speaking out in public.

noheen was detained last year. "the taliban dragged me into a car and said to me: 'why are you doing this against us? this is the islamic system.' they took us to a dark and scary place, locked me there, humiliated me with horrible words and beat me," she said with tears streaming down her face.

“when we were released from detention, we were completely different. that’s why we stopped protesting,” she added. “i don’t want to be humiliated for being a woman anymore. i would rather die than live like this.”

now, afghan women are posting videos online to protest, with their faces covered and singing songs about freedom. one of the lyrics reads: "let us speak with one voice, let us walk hand in hand, away from this cruelty."

hamdullah fitrat, deputy spokesman for the taliban government, did not want to be photographed with women and refused to sit across from female reporters during interviews. he defended the new law, saying that "the law approved by the supreme leader is in line with islamic law."

the new law contains numerous footnotes citing religious texts. "any religious scholar can consult its references," fitrat said.

video screenshot: taliban deputy spokesman hamdullah fitrat is interviewed

but shireen, a teacher, disagrees.

"this is their own interpretation of islamic law. islam gives men and women the same right to learn and progress," shirin said. "if they say women's voices should not be heard, then let's look back at history. there are many women who have spoken out in islamic history."

shirin is part of a group of afghan women who run clandestine schools and quietly defy government restrictions. the new law exacerbates her concerns, as running a school is already risky and they have to frequently relocate their school for safety reasons.

afghan women at a shop window in kabul. they have fewer and fewer opportunities to meet.

because the risk of discovery was too great, she could not be interviewed at home and had to choose an inconspicuous location.

"every morning when i wake up, i pray to the gods for a peaceful day. after the new law came out, i explained all the rules to my students and told them that things would become more difficult. but i am tired of it all. sometimes i just want to scream," she said. "they don't see women as people, they see women as tools that can only be kept at home."

karina, a psychologist who provides counselling to clandestine schools, has previously revealed that afghan women are suffering from an "epidemic of suicidal thoughts" because of restrictions imposed by the law.

she said she had received a large number of calls seeking help after the new law was announced. "one of my friends sent me a message saying this was her last message. she was considering ending her life. they feel that all hope is gone and there is no point in continuing to live," she said. "and it has become increasingly difficult to provide them with psychological counseling."

when asked if the taliban government was responsible for the depression and suicidal thoughts these women and girls suffered because they were denied education, the taliban spokesman said: "the issue of education for our sisters is very important. we are working hard to solve this problem. this is also the demand of many sisters."

but three years later, do the taliban really expect the public to trust them?

"we are waiting for the leadership's decision. we will all be notified once it is made," fitrat replied.

earlier meetings with taliban officials indicate that there are divisions within the taliban government over the issue of female education, and while some want to restart the process, the top brass has been unwilling to compromise and has maintained a relatively conservative stance.

public health, security, arts and crafts are among the few sectors that women in parts of the country can continue to work in. but this right is not legally guaranteed and is enforced only through a tacit understanding between grassroots taliban officials, non-governmental organizations and other stakeholders.

not far from kabul, the taliban's ministry of public health holds regular training courses for midwives. a dozen women in their 20s attended a combination of theory and practice taught by a senior female doctor.

a dozen women in their 20s attend a medical course on how to deliver babies.

“my family is very proud of me. i left my own children at home to come here, but they know that i am serving my country. this job gives me a lot of positive energy,” said safia.

many female students acknowledged that they were privileged, but they also worried about what would happen if the course was also discontinued. the taliban ministry of health did not answer how they would find students to study the course in the future if girls could not receive formal education after grade six.

the new law makes even such informal channels more vulnerable to scrutiny by the taliban’s morality police.

student midwife kaynat is one of the few women to receive training

a un spokesman announced on june 30 that taliban government representatives would attend the first un-hosted talks in qatar. at the insistence of the taliban government, afghan civil society representatives and women's rights activists were excluded from the meeting. but less than two months after the talks, the taliban announced the new law.

this has led the international community to question whether the taliban's conditions for talks are still worth negotiating with them and what future engagement with the taliban will look like.

the european union issued a sharply worded statement in response to the new law, calling the restrictions "systematic and widespread abuses ... that may amount to gender-based persecution, a crime against humanity" and saying the law was "another self-imposed obstacle to normalisation of relations and international recognition of the taliban".

"the values ​​​​enshrined in the law are accepted by afghan society, and there is no problem with that," fitrat said. "we hope that the international community, especially the united nations and other parties, will respect islamic law, traditions and the values ​​of muslim society."

now, most women in afghanistan have to wear masks when they go out on the streets, and few show their faces.

less than two weeks ago, the taliban's ministry for the propaganda of virtue and the prevention of vice said it would no longer cooperate with the un mission in afghanistan due to un criticism of the law.

this means that a relationship that seemed to be progressing two months ago has now hit a major roadblock.

"i think the world should continue to help afghanistan in terms of aid. but when talking to the taliban, there should be a rule that women must be present in every discussion. if this cannot be done, they (the international community) should stop talking to them," said psychologist karina.

“the world must pay attention to what is happening to afghan women because if it doesn’t, this mentality of indifference can easily spread to them and to their families,” said karina.

(editor: liu zhenzhen)