RASC News Agency: Local sources in Herat say residents of the western Afghanistani province have issued a public call for a large-scale protest against the Taliban’s recent policies targeting women and girls.
According to the sources, demonstrators plan to gather in Herat on Friday to protest the detention of women and girls over alleged violations of the Taliban’s prescribed dress code, as well as the group’s increasingly stringent enforcement of its directives concerning women’s appearance and conduct in public spaces.
Organizers of the planned demonstration have described the Taliban’s recent actions as a violation of fundamental civil rights and personal freedoms. They have urged Herat residents to join the protest in opposition to the detention of women and what they characterize as the group’s violent and coercive methods of enforcement.
The appeal comes amid a series of reports documenting the arrest of women and girls in Herat for what Taliban authorities have described as “failure to observe Islamic hijab requirements.” The detentions have sparked widespread public concern and drawn criticism from human rights organizations, which argue that the measures reflect an expanding campaign to restrict women’s autonomy and participation in public life.
Earlier this week, residents of Herat’s Jebrail district staged demonstrations following reports of similar arrests. Those protests were met with a forceful response from Taliban fighters. Local accounts indicated that security personnel dispersed the crowds through violent means, with reports emerging of gunfire, injuries among demonstrators, and the detention of several participants.
According to the statement circulated by protest organizers, the planned demonstration is scheduled to take place on Friday, jun 12 , at 2:00 p.m. local time, following Friday prayers in the city of Herat.
The call for public mobilization reflects growing frustration among segments of Afghanistani society over the Taliban’s expanding enforcement measures directed at women. Since returning to power in August 2021, the Taliban has imposed sweeping restrictions affecting nearly every aspect of women’s lives, including access to secondary and higher education, employment opportunities, freedom of movement, and participation in public affairs.
International human rights bodies and United Nations experts have repeatedly warned that these policies amount to a systematic dismantling of women’s rights and risk entrenching gender-based discrimination as a defining feature of governance in Afghanistan under Taliban rule.
The emergence of public protests in Herat, despite the risks associated with dissent under the current authorities, underscores the depth of concern among local communities regarding the social consequences of the Taliban’s policies. Observers note that expressions of opposition have become increasingly rare due to fears of arrest, intimidation, and reprisals by security forces.
Whether Friday’s planned gathering proceeds as announced remains uncertain. However, the call itself highlights a growing tension between the Taliban’s efforts to enforce its interpretation of social norms and the demands of many Afghanistani citizens for dignity, legal protections, and the preservation of basic freedoms.
As scrutiny of the Taliban’s treatment of women intensifies internationally, developments in Herat are likely to be closely watched as an indicator of both the resilience of local civic resistance and the authorities’ willingness to tolerate peaceful expressions of dissent.
