Thousands of men gathered in Kabul on Friday to mark the fourth anniversary of the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan, watching helicopters scatter flowers across the city. Women, however, were barred from attending, continuing the sweeping restrictions that have defined life under Taliban rule.
Celebrations Without Women
The anniversary programme included speeches by Taliban cabinet members and symbolic “flower showers” at six sites in the capital. But half of those venues were already off-limits to women due to a 2022 ban on access to parks and recreational spaces.
The celebrations, restricted to men, were more subdued than last year, when the Taliban staged a full military parade at a former US airbase. This year, Taliban fighters were still seen parading through Kabul streets in pickup trucks, carrying weapons and white flags.
Women Protest in Afghanistan and Abroad
In stark contrast to the celebrations, women’s groups staged protests to mark the day. Members of the United Afghan Women’s Movement for Freedom held an indoor demonstration in Takhar province, describing August 15 as “a black day”.
“We remember this day not as a memory, but as an open wound of history,” their statement read. “The fall of Afghanistan was not the fall of our will. We stand, even in the darkness.”
In Islamabad, Afghan women living in exile also staged a protest, holding placards that read “Forgiving the Taliban is an act of enmity against humanity” and “August 15th is a dark day.”
Taliban Leader’s Message
Taliban supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada, in a statement, said Afghans should be grateful for Islamic rule, warning of “severe punishment from God” for those who failed to show gratitude.
Last month, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants against Akhundzada and Chief Justice Abdul Hakim Haqqani, accusing them of crimes against humanity for policies that have persecuted women and girls.
Crisis Beyond the Celebrations
Four years after the Taliban seized Kabul following the US and NATO withdrawal, Afghanistan remains in deep crisis. The country faces a worsening humanitarian emergency driven by drought, mass expulsions of Afghans from Iran and Pakistan, and falling international aid.
Rights groups and the United Nations continue to condemn the Taliban’s treatment of women, who remain excluded from most jobs, higher education, and public spaces.
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