The Taliban is increasingly using sexual violence as a weapon to enforce its strict interpretation of Sharia law across Afghanistan. According to reports from Afghanistan International, these assaults target women who attempt to maintain professional or social lives in defiance of gender apartheid.

A 40 percent surge in violence against Afghan women

United Nations data indicates a 40 percent rise in the risk of violence against women and girls since the Taliban's return to power. This surge occurs alongside a massive humanitarian crisis where 14.2 million Afghan citizens require urgent protection and assistance. The systematic erasure of women from public life—including bans on university education, restrictions on movement , and the endorsement of forced marriages—has created a landscape where physical violence serves as a tool for social control.

The targeting of TikTok creators like Tahmina

Digital presence has become a dangerous liability for Afghan women, as demonstrated by the experience of a 22-year-old model known as Tahmina. After building a following of 50,000 on TikTok, Tahmina was targeted by armed men in Kabul in September 2021. According to the report, the attackers filmed the assault, using the footage as a means of psychological terror. The social consequences were immediate; Tahmina's husband filed for divorce, and the trauma led to the premature birth of her son at seven months. Even after fleeing to Pakistan, Tahmina faced digital harassment from an account named Qudratullah Khan, who threatened to expose her past captivity.

Assaults in Mazar-e-Sharif's medical sector

Professional women in Balkh Province face similar threats of abduction and assault. Zuleikha, a 22-year-old who worked in medical product advertising in Mazar-e-Sharif, was reportedly abducted by masked gunmen. The incident highlights how even those working in essential sectors, such as healthcare-adjacent roles, are not safe from the Taliban's reach. zuleikha reocunted being struck with a rifle butt before being thrown into a vehicle, an experience that underscores the physical brutality used to enforce gendered restrictions.

The mystery of Qudratullah Khan's digital threats

The identity of digital aggressors like Qudratullah Khan remains a critical unknown in the fight against gender-based persecution. While the report highlights specific instances of harassment, it remains unclear if these online threats are direct orders from the Taliban's counter-narcotics department or the work of decentralized militants using social media for intimidation. Additionally, while survivors like Zuleikha and Tahmina have spoken out, the full scale of the Taliban's use of sexual violence as a state-sanctioned tool remains unverified by independent international investigators on the ground.