Under Taliban rule in Afghanistan, life has become increasingly difficult for women after the group regained power in 2021 and imposed a series of strict restrictions on their rights and freedoms. The worsening situation has drawn widespread international condemnation and reignited conversations around women’s rights in Afghanistan. As people across the world continue to protest, debate and raise awareness online about the lives of Afghan women, a new social media trend has emerged around the hashtag, #FreeAfghanWomen.
The Viral ‘Afghan Makeup’ Trend
Many women have taken to Instagram to speak out about the situation of women in Afghanistan through a viral trend that has rapidly gained traction on social media.
The videos typically begin with the text overlay, “Afghan makeup transition,” showing a woman standing in front of the camera while the song “Afghan Jalebi” from the Bollywood film Phantom plays in the background. Moments later, the video transitions to the woman dressed in a burqa as the tone of the music becomes serious. The clip then ends with the message: “Nobody is free until everybody is free. #FreeAfghanWomen.”
The Trend Sparks Social Media Discussion
The trend has sparked widespread discussion across social media, with many users praising it for drawing attention to the plight of Afghan women.
One user wrote, “That was deep. I felt a burning sensation deep down my heart.”
Another commented, “It was literally so sad to see that while somewhere in the world we women are fighting patriarchy, elsewhere women are losing all their basic rights.”
A third user wrote, “The way of presenting the awareness was so good… it’s really deep.”
Situation In Afghanistan
According to multiple reports, the Taliban has imposed sweeping restrictions on women’s rights, severely limiting their access to education, employment, freedom of expression, freedom of movement and even their choice of clothing. Women who have protested these measures have reportedly faced intimidation, threats, arbitrary detention, arrest, torture and, in some cases, enforced disappearances.
At the same time, Afghanistan continues to face one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. Economic instability, compounded by the effects of climate change, has contributed to widespread displacement, rising poverty and growing food insecurity across the country.