Fahima Noori had big dreams when she graduated from university in Afghanistan. She had studied law, graduated from a midwifery programme, and 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, stated Fahima, whose real name has been changed to protect her identity.
Over the past few weeks, the Taliban government began severing fibre-optic internet connections across several provinces, claiming it was part of an effort to prevent immorality. For many, this seemed like the first step toward an entire internet shutdown, a fear that came true on Tuesday. The country is currently experiencing a total internet blackout according to internet watchdog Netblocks, affecting essential services and disrupting communication.
International news agencies report that they have lost contact with their offices in Kabul, with severe disruptions to mobile internet and satellite TV across Afghanistan. Before this, I studied midwifery... the only hope left for us was the internet and online learning, said Shakiba from Takhar province.
Teachers and students alike have shared their dismay, with Zabi, an English teacher, noting that many of his students lost valuable exam opportunities because of the blackout. For my female students, this was their last chance. And now even that is gone, he lamented.
The internet shutdown has thrown Afghan society further into despair, particularly for women, who find their ambitions curtailed and future prospects dimmed under Taliban rule. As one father expressed, witnessing his daughters' desperation has been heart-wrenching. Their last opportunity to study is now gone. Seeing my children so helpless... that was the hardest for me.\
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, stated Fahima, whose real name has been changed to protect her identity.
Over the past few weeks, the Taliban government began severing fibre-optic internet connections across several provinces, claiming it was part of an effort to prevent immorality. For many, this seemed like the first step toward an entire internet shutdown, a fear that came true on Tuesday. The country is currently experiencing a total internet blackout according to internet watchdog Netblocks, affecting essential services and disrupting communication.
International news agencies report that they have lost contact with their offices in Kabul, with severe disruptions to mobile internet and satellite TV across Afghanistan. Before this, I studied midwifery... the only hope left for us was the internet and online learning, said Shakiba from Takhar province.
Teachers and students alike have shared their dismay, with Zabi, an English teacher, noting that many of his students lost valuable exam opportunities because of the blackout. For my female students, this was their last chance. And now even that is gone, he lamented.
The internet shutdown has thrown Afghan society further into despair, particularly for women, who find their ambitions curtailed and future prospects dimmed under Taliban rule. As one father expressed, witnessing his daughters' desperation has been heart-wrenching. Their last opportunity to study is now gone. Seeing my children so helpless... that was the hardest for me.\
