Afghan Women Left in the Dark: Internet Shutdown Strips Away Their Last Chance for Education

Sat Oct 11 2025 04:06:30 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

In a devastating blow to Afghan women, a nationwide internet shutdown imposed by the Taliban has obstructed their access to education and opportunities for a better future.

The recent decision by the Taliban to implement a national internet shutdown has crushed the hopes of many Afghan women, who relied on online education to pursue their dreams amidst severe restrictions on their rights. Daily life for students and teachers has been paralyzed, forcing many to confront a dark future without the means to learn or support themselves.

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. They banned girls over the age of 12 from getting an education, severely restricted job options for women and recently removed books written by women from universities.

For Fahima, the internet was her last lifeline to the outside world. I recently enrolled in an online university [and] I had hoped to finish my studies and find an online job, she said.

On Tuesday, that lifeline was cut off when the Taliban imposed a nationwide internet shutdown that is set to last indefinitely. Our last hope was online learning. Now [even] that dream has been destroyed, said Fahima.

Over the past few weeks, the Taliban government began severing fibre-optic internet connections across several provinces, saying this was part of an effort to prevent immorality. For many, they feared this might be the first step towards an entire internet shutdown.

And on Tuesday, their worst fears came true. The country is currently experiencing a 'total internet blackout' according to internet watchdog Netblocks — a move that has paralyzed the country's essential services.

International news agencies say they have lost contact with offices in the capital Kabul. Mobile internet and satellite TV have also been severely disrupted across Afghanistan.

Ahead of the nationwide shutdown, the BBC spoke to some people in Afghanistan who detailed how the internet outages in their provinces derailed their lives.

Shakiba, a student from the northern province of Takhar, said, 'Before this, I studied midwifery, but unfortunately that programme was banned for women... the only hope left for us was the internet and online learning. We want to study. We want to be educated. We want to be able to help people in our future. When I heard that the internet had been cut, the world felt dark to me.'

It's a similar tale for Fahima, who says she now feels 'helpless'. 'My two sisters [and I] were studying online. We used to stay updated on news and technology through the internet, but now we cannot keep up or learn new skills,' she said.

'We dreamed of finishing our education and helping our father financially, but now... we all sit at home doing nothing.'

Since seizing power in 2021, the Taliban have imposed numerous restrictions in accordance with their interpretation of Islamic Sharia law. Earlier this month they removed books written by women from the country's university teaching system as part of a new ban.

But it's not just female students that have been affected - teachers like Zabi, who used to make a living through online teaching, have been similarly hit by the ban.

According to an earlier UNDP report, Afghanistan's per capita income stood at $306 in 2024. Zabi has stated that he will need to leave the country if the internet is not restored soon - saying he has no other way of earning a living.

Many interviewees are left contemplating a future without the opportunities once accessible to them, recognizing that the internet was not just a means of communication, but a foundational aspect of their aspirations.