Protests by Women and Girls in Kandahar on the Longest Night of the Year.
A group of women and girls in Kandahar Province, coinciding with the arrival of Yalda Night, turned the ancient tradition into a symbol of protest against the Taliban’s restrictive policies.
Local sources say the protest took place on the evening of Sunday, 21 December 2025, the first night of winter, during which demonstrators voiced their opposition to the limitations imposed on women.
According to the sources, a group of Kandahari girls chanted slogans such as “Education is their right,” protesting bans on education, employment, and women’s social participation.
Kandahar, the residence of Taliban leader Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada, is widely regarded as the center from which the group’s strict decrees against women have been issued over the past three years.
Referring to the symbolic meaning of Yalda Night—the longest night of the year—the protesters said darkness is not permanent and that light will follow.
They expressed hope that the end of this long night would mark the end of Taliban rule in Afghanistan. The protest took place amid reports of heavy security measures, as the Taliban continue to suppress any form of women’s demonstrations in Kandahar.
