In another stark reminder of Afghanistan’s shrinking space for women, the Taliban have arrested a 22-year-old female taekwondo coach, Khadija Ahmadzada, for allegedly training girls in secret in the western city of Herat.
Local media reported that Taliban intelligence and morality police detained her during a raid on January 13 and transferred her to the provincial prison.
Marginalized segment of Afghani Society: Women
According to reports, Khadija had been teaching a small group of girls inside the parking area of a residential building in an attempt to avoid attention and bypass strict restrictions on women’s sports.
When the raid took place, her students managed to flee, but Khadija, her father and the owner of the building were taken into custody and later moved to Herat’s central jail.
The exact legal charge against her has not been made public but the arrest comes amid a nationwide ban on women’s participation in sports.
Soon after the incident, Khadija’s social media accounts were also shut down, adding to concerns about pressure and surveillance faced by women who try to remain active in public life.
Local sources say the secret training sessions were a quiet form of resistance against the growing number of bans imposed on women since 2021.
A wider crackdown on women’s freedom
Since returning to power, the Taliban have enforced sweeping restrictions on women and girls across Afghanistan.
They have barred them from secondary and higher education, most forms of employment, sports activities and many aspects of public life.
More than 150 orders and directives have reportedly been issued that limit women’s movement, work, education and expression.
Taliban morality police continue to detain women and girls for alleged violations of strict dress codes, including rules about wearing the hijab and covering their faces in public.
Over the past few years, dozens of female journalists, media workers and activists have also faced detention with some reports of mistreatment and abuse in custody.
The arrest of Khadija Ahmadzada highlights how even small efforts to keep women engaged in sports and healthy activities now carry serious personal risk.
For many Afghans, especially women, such underground classes have become symbols of quiet defiance and a desire to hold on to normal life.
But as this case shows, the space for such resistance is becoming smaller, and the consequences more severe with each passing month.
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