Daily communication as cultural practices: Afghan women’s online and offline resistance under Taliban rule

The resurgence of the Taliban in Afghanistan after two decades of conflict led to widespread gender restrictions in the country. Women were excluded from education, employment, and freedom of expression during this period. These policies also reduced Afghan women’s social and civic participation and increased gender inequality in society. This study examines how Afghan women resist through social daily communication and cultural practices on social media, challenging Taliban policies and mobilising to support social and political change. Drawing on cultural resistance theory, qualitative data were obtained from semi-structured interviews with 25 Afghan women who played a significant role in organising protests and civil conferences. In-depth interviews with women from diverse social backgrounds revealed their hatred of Taliban policies and exposed their disregard for women’s rights. Findings revealed that women publicly criticised the regime's policies and decisions by relying on daily communication and creating anti-Taliban cultural literature on social media. As a result, the study concludes that the Taliban’s re-emergence has greatly complicated the situation for women, and rolled back women’s rights. Therefore, this study focuses on women's everyday cultural and online communicative strategies to examine their situation and identify the challenges they face in protecting their basic rights.