The Taliban’s recent decision to make photographs optional for women’s national ID cards has sparked strong backlash from women’s rights groups, who say the move amounts to “erasing women’s identity.”
Members of the Powerful Women of Afghanistan movement gathered in Kabul, calling the policy “a systematic attempt to eliminate women from public and historical memory.” In their statement, they declared: “Do not erase the identity of women. Without a photo, identity has no meaning.”
The group emphasized that women in Afghanistan, like men, have the right to education, employment, and freedom—and warned against further “restrictive policies” imposed on them.
“This is not merely a bureaucratic adjustment,” they said. “Removing women’s photos from official documents is part of a broader agenda to erase women from the collective consciousness of the nation.”
Speaking at a private gathering in Kabul, the group reiterated that women are an integral part of Afghan society and the backbone of progress, justice, and freedom. They vowed not to remain silent in the face of “discrimination, censorship, and efforts to silence women.”
Previously, Mohammad Halim Rafi, spokesperson for the Taliban-run National Statistics and Information Authority, announced that based on a ruling by Taliban clerics, including guidance from supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada, women are no longer required to include photographs on their national ID cards. However, he said women may still choose to attach a photo if they wish.
Rights advocates argue that the move reinforces the Taliban’s ongoing campaign to erase women from public life and limit their participation in society.
