Many Prominent Afghan Female Leaders Have Fled or Are Now Hiding

Even as the Taliban seek to assure the world they’ve become more moderate, most of Afghanistan’s top female leaders who emerged over the past two decades have fled or are in hiding.

In recent weeks, Taliban fighters have fired shots in the air to disperse protests in Kabul and other cities by women demanding participation in government as well as rights to education and jobs. A major rallying point for these protests have been the exclusion of women from the new cabinet unveiled last week, a step back from U.S.-backed governments that included female lawmakers and technocrats.