Afghan YouTubers fear for future as Taliban ban women’s voices

With a microphone and mobile phone in hand, Husna loved hitting the streets of Kabul every week to interview people for her YouTube videos. That excitement has turned to fear after the Taliban banned women from speaking in public.

The Taliban last month formally codified a host of morality laws in Afghanistan, which included requirements for women to veil themselves from head to toe in public and a prohibition on speaking outside of their homes.

Even at home, they should not be heard singing, reciting or reading out loud, according to the Ministry for the Prevention of Vice and Propagation of Virtue.

"Every time I go to the city to film and interview people, I fear the Taliban might arrest me. It gives me a lot of anxiety," said Husna, a 25-year-old YouTuber who requested to use a pseudonym to protect her identity.

"Our voice has become a source of shame. (The Taliban) want us to be imprisoned at home," she told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

Afghan women arrive to receive assistance from a World Food Program (WFP) distribution centre in Kabul, Afghanistan, August 21, 2024.Reuters

Her YouTube channel has garnered more than 5,000 subscribers since its launch in July last year.

Before the latest diktats, Husna created about 10 videos a month on topics ranging from clothes, textile production, ice-cream making, Afghan cuisine and the kind of social life people enjoy in an increasingly restrictive country.

While the new rules do not directly target YouTube or other social media platforms, content creators say their ability to make videos in public and at home will be curtailed.

Scores of women who turned to YouTube in search of income after the Taliban seized power in 2021 and largely confined them indoors now fear for the future of their work.

"If you're not actively producing videos, how can you earn? The current situation has negatively affected my work, income and mental well-being," Husna said. She did not disclose how much she earned from her videos, but said that it was enough to support her family.

"We can no longer work freely. I fear I may not be able to continue working in the future and pay for even basic expenses."

Afghan women activists inside and outside the country have published videos of themselves on social media singing revolutionary songs against the strict morality laws that were formally codified by the Taliban last month.

'World must pay attention'

The Taliban's restrictions on women and freedom of expression have drawn sharp criticism from rights groups and many foreign governments.

They have barred girls from secondary education and women from universities and most jobs and curbed their freedom of movement - echoing the harsh constraints imposed when they were first in power in 1996.

The latest laws have sparked fresh international outrage and calls for an immediate repeal.

The Taliban say they respect women's rights in accordance with their interpretation of Islamic law and local customs and that these are internal matters that should be addressed locally.

Neither the Taliban spokesman not the Ministry of Information and Culture responded to requests for comment.

Mawloda Tawana, an Afghan women's rights activist, said the latest curbs not only harm women's economic situation, but also their mental health.

"The new restrictions prevent these YouTubers from doing their job, leaving them to live like dolls in a silent corner," said Tawana in comments shared via WhatsApp.

Afghan women fry traditional cookies inside a bakery in Kabul, Afghanistan, May 5, 2024. REUTERS

She said technology and social media had helped women protest, express themselves and share "Taliban atrocities" with the world, and warned that without their voices it would be "impossible to report on events.”

"The world must pay attention to the plight of the Afghan people, especially women," she said.

Husna has already noticed a shift in women's willingness to speak on camera.

"Everyone was eager to speak with the media and share their opinions earlier, but now it is rare to find women and girls in public spaces, and they refuse to do interviews because they fear for their lives," she said.

'Dark future'

Shadab Gulzar, deputy head of the Afghanistan YouTubers Union, said the new restrictions had already reduced online activity and created economic challenges. But he urged women to stick with the video-sharing website.

"YouTubers can continue their activities by following Islamic principles. New restrictions specifically target vocal and recitation activities by women, not YouTube itself," he said.

"YouTubers should continue their work, as social media platforms, especially YouTube, are crucial for amplifying the voices of the Afghan people. If they stop, their voices will be less heard, and restrictions may increase."

YouTube channels had become a significant source of income for many women, "with most of them meeting their living expenses" by posting content, Gulzar said.

About 10% to 15% of all Afghan YouTubers earn between $1,500 and $2,000 a month, and a little over half earn an average of up to $500, according to his data.

This is a significant amount of money in a country where per capita income is just over $350, according to the World Bank.

Women say such home-based jobs are key for survival.

For Sitara, a 24-year-old YouTuber who also asked to use a pseudonym to protect her identity, the latest rules have started impacting her work - despite her content focusing on Islamic teachings and culture.

"Earlier I could report freely, but not anymore," said Sitara, a graduate in Islamic studies whose YouTube channel has gained more than 10,000 followers since its launch in September 2022.

"(The Taliban) claim these restrictions enforce Islamic law, but in Islam, women have the right to work and education," she said.

She wants the international community and human rights organizations to mount pressure on the Taliban to restore women's rights and freedoms.

"If the current situation does not change, a dark future awaits Afghan women."