The Hands That Should Hold Books

Afghanistan’s children are being forced from classrooms into labour. Their dreams are shrinking in the dust of kilns, workshops, and markets — while the world remains silent.

By The Afghan Times 8 Min Read

Editor's Pick

The child labour crisis in Afghanistan: the Taliban’s ban on women‘s right to work increases child labour and poverty

“If I go to school, my family will have nothing to eat,” said Johar. “I am the sole breadwinner for my family.” He earns up to $2 per day working…

By The Afghan Times 16 Min Read

Open Mic: Ep 21 with Zainab Noori

In this episode of The Afghan Times Podcast, we welcome…

3 Min Read

Open Mic: Ep 23 with Mahnaz Haidary

In this episode of The Afghan Times Podcast, we welcome…

3 Min Read

Dreams Locked Behind Gates: The Closure of Midwifery Training Centers in Afghanistan

The sun was low over Kabul, casting a soft orange…

13 Min Read

Abdul Wahab and Gulsoom: The Price of Survival Amid Food Insecurity

For World Food Day, October 16, 2024, the Afghan Times and IUF Asia/Pacific released a report “Women and Food Insecurity…

By The Afghan Times 5 Min Read

Before reaching hospital, the woman and her child died

Karimdad Rahimi, a resident of Baghlan province, said the dire situation faced by women during…

By The Afghan Times 6 Min Read

Taliban Reaffirms Ban on Women Working in NGOs, Expands Restrictions

The Taliban has doubled down on its ban on women working in non-governmental organizations (NGOs),…

By The Afghan Times 1 Min Read

The Taliban deferred inquiries on girls’ education “until further notice.”

The Taliban's Minister of Higher Education, Neda Mohammad Nadeem, announced on Sunday, August 25, that…

By The Afghan Times 3 Min Read

Open Mic: Ep 1 with Marwa Hoshmand – The Afghan Times podcast

Welcome to the first episode of Open Mic – The Afghan Times Podcast, where we share inspiring stories of resilience, hope,…

1 Min Read

Pakistan’s Afghan Deportations Are a Moral and Humanitarian Disaster

The trucks rumble across the border, packed with men, women, and children—their lives reduced to whatever they can carry. Some…

5 Min Read

Open Mic: Ep 19 with Zarlasht Naser

In this episode of The Afghan Times Podcast, we are joined by Zarlasht Naseri, a young woman whose journey of…

6 Min Read

Afghan Women Protest in Islamabad on International Women’s Day, Call to End Gender Apartheid in Afghanistan

On International Women’s Day, a group of Afghan women gathered in the Pakistani capital, not to celebrate, but to protest.…

5 Min Read

Afghan women and girls join online study programs despite Taliban’s ban on female education

The providers report strong demand from Afghan women for English language, science, and business courses. This surge follows the Taliban's…

5 Min Read

The Dual Crisis: Displacement and Food Insecurity

For World Food Day, October 16, 2024, the Afghan Times and IUF Asia/Pacific released a report “Women and Food Insecurity in Afghanistan” highlighting the country’s worsening…

4 Min Read

Voices of Struggle: The Human Impact of Food Insecurity in Afghanistan

For World Food Day, October 16, 2024, the Afghan Times and IUF Asia/Pacific released a report “Women and Food Insecurity in Afghanistan” highlighting the country’s worsening…

5 Min Read

Conflict, Climate Change, and Economic Collapse: The Driving Forces Behind Afghanistan’s Escalating Food Insecurity

For World Food Day, October 16, 2024, the Afghan Times and IUF Asia/Pacific released a report “Women and Food Insecurity in Afghanistan” highlighting the country’s worsening…

6 Min Read

Severe Shortage of Female Doctors in Southern Afghanistan

With Schools Closed and Training Halted, Public Health Facilities Across the Region Face Collapse

7 Min Read

Six-Year-Old Girl Forced into Marriage in Helmand

Shock over marriage of six-year-old girl highlights urgent need to protect Afghan children

2 Min Read

Open Mic: Ep 25 with Husna Baburi

In this episode of The Afghan Times Podcast, we hear from Husna Baburi, an Afghan woman.

4 Min Read

Open Mic: Ep 24 with Mozhda Hakimi

In this episode of The Afghan Times Podcast, we welcome Mozhda Hakimi, a 17-year-old Afghan young woman.

4 Min Read

From Livelihood to Silence: Taliban Crushes Women’s Work Behind Closed Doors

Women say limitations on work and lack of market access have pushed many into economic despair

8 Min Read

The Hands That Should Hold Books

Afghanistan’s children are being forced from classrooms into labour. Their dreams are shrinking in the dust of kilns, workshops, and markets — while the world remains silent.

8 Min Read

Bricks or Bats: In Afghanistan, children build kilns or chase dreams—But not both

In a nation where childhood is stolen by labour, even a game of cricket becomes an act of defiance.

9 Min Read

Child Labour In Taliban’s Afghanistan

A Special Report by The Afghan Times

2 Min Read

Why Are Children Still Working in Brick Kilns?

Inside Afghanistan’s Brick Kilns: How Poverty, Debt, and a Broken System Are Forcing Children to Work

3 Min Read

Stolen Childhoods, Silenced Futures

A Special Report on the Rise of Child Labour in Taliban-Controlled Afghanistan

3 Min Read

Pakistan’s Deportation Drive Puts Afghan Women’s Lives at Risk

UN and rights groups condemn expulsions as women and children make up majority of returnees.

5 Min Read

Hidden in the Trunk: How Kandahar Erases Women from Public Life

In southern Afghanistan, women are forced into car trunks—exposing a deeply rooted system that erases them from public life.

6 Min Read

Open Mic: Ep 23 with Mahnaz Haidary

In this episode of The Afghan Times Podcast, we welcome Mahnaz Haidary, a 17-year-old Afghan girl and high school student living in Iran. From sports to education, she is determined…

3 Min Read

Taliban Arrest Children in Ghazni, Accuse Them of Selling Hair and Theft

Rights groups condemn arbitrary detention of minors amid rising abuse of power by Taliban authorities.

2 Min Read

Girls Too Young to Carry Children: Voices from Afghanistan’s Frontlines of a Growing Maternal Health Emergency

Premature Births Double in Central-Southern Afghanistan Amid Alarming Rise in Child Marriages

5 Min Read