Afghan women defy Taliban gym ban with secret fitness clubsBy Bahaar Joya and Emma Batha / Thomson Reuters FoundationHidden in the basement of a private home in the Afghan capital Kabul, gym instructor Laila Ahmad takes a group of women through a clandestine exercise class — the windows are blacked out, there is no pumping music and visitors arrive by a back door. The Taliban banned women from gyms and parks last month, the latest clampdown in a progressive erosion of their freedoms that drew swift international condemnation. The ruling Taliban has banned women from attending university in Afghanistan, according to an order issued on Tuesday. When the Taliban shut her school, Yosef gathered together some sports equipment and moved it into her home. Her biggest fear is that the Taliban will shut the gym.

Source: Taipei Times December 21, 2022 16:46 UTC