Poetry has always played a vital role in political movements, especially in Afghanistan. It provides women with a way to find dignity through written words in a society that systematically denies them this right.
In recent years, numerous publications and websites have emerged to share the poetry of Afghan women. This growth has been particularly notable since the Taliban’s takeover in 2021, with poetry becoming a powerful outlet for women to express their suffering and degradation.
However, as of last month, the Taliban has banned women from reciting poetry.
To many in the West, this ban might seem minor compared to other Taliban restrictions on women’s rights to work, education, and independence. Yet, the ban on poetry carries deep cultural significance, and its cruelty is profound.
Afghan women have a long and rich history with poetry. For Pashtun women, a specific form called landai has been used for thousands of years to convey love and grief. Poetry has also served as a tool of resistance, with notable female poets like Malalai of Maiwand emerging during wartime. Many Afghan women have grown up reading and writing poetry, which symbolizes feminine strength and offers an emotional outlet.
Since the fall of Kabul in 2021, poetry has helped women articulate their devastation—from the chaos and violence of the takeover to the isolation, fear, and hopelessness they now experience. Creative writing allows these women to share their experiences, many of which remain unknown to the outside world.
This form of communication has become even more crucial as Afghan women have lost all formal avenues for advocacy. The Taliban is not recognized diplomatically, leaving Afghan women without a voice at international platforms like the United Nations, where they remained largely invisible during the recent General Assembly meeting.
On a personal level, poetry helps women process their trauma. Young Afghans have known only a country in conflict, often experiencing bombings and terror attacks in their schools, workplaces, and local neighborhoods. They now live under a regime that offers little hope or escape. Afghan women have virtually no access to mental health resources, and their isolation exacerbates their struggles.
For these women, poetry provides a rare space to reflect and process their trauma. It is also an accessible art form, with many using the “notes apps” on their phones to write. With almost three years of denied education, poetry allows them to practice language skills, especially in English.
Despite the ban, Afghan women continue to write and share poetry through WhatsApp groups and Instagram. These small acts of resistance are vital for the mental well-being and survival of women who have lost their independence and public voice.
While the Taliban claims to act in accordance with Afghan culture, banning women’s access to poetry directly contradicts this assertion. This cruel contradiction is captured in a poem by Afghan poet Nargis Payenda:
I would die,
When my nights and days are gone with the wind
I would die,
When the panic of my heart floats around
I would die,
When the sorrows of my heart run out into my poems
I would die,
When the ray of sun depicts the color of my eyes
I would die,
When the wind is the only voice that I can hear
And I would die,
When I see glowing the last star in the near dawn.
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