3 hours ago
Afghan Women Unseen: Five Years Under Taliban Rule
Five years after US troops left Afghanistan, the approximately 25 million women and girls in the country remain subject to an exceptionally wide series of exclusions from education, work, public space, mobility and political life. For many, life has been getting worse and has become largely restricted to the privacy of their homes since wide-ranging powers to punish so-called acts of vice became codified in law two years ago. In this edition, we seek to understand what it’s really like to be female under the Taliban in Afghanistan in 2026, and what hopes might exist for a lifting of the many restrictions. As always, we invite you to join us in seeing where our intentions and prayers may be most needed.
Intentions and prayers start at 17 minutes 21 seconds.
Suggested Intention Focus for this week
This week, as we reflect on the reality of life for women and girls living in Afghanistan in 2026, we suggest holding as our main intention:
We ask that all Afghan women and girls living under the constant observation of morality police will have courage and know that they are esteemed and advocated for by many millions of people around the world.
Please join us in holding this.
Previous episode related to this episode:
Men Behaving Badly: Leaders Who Play The Religious Card, https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-s4zbu-18e6f49
Chapter markers:
00:00:00 Introduction
00:01:25 Afghan Women Under Taliban Rule
00:05:23 Mobility, Dress, and Public Life
00:09:41 Hardening of Taliban Restrictions
00:11:34 Daily Consequences and Resistance
00:13:06 Prospects for Change
00:17:21 Intentions and Prayers
Sources referenced in this episode:
https://news.un.org/en/story/2026/09/1168347
https://openurl.ebsco.com/contentitem/lgd:181002291
https://news.un.org/en/story/2026/04/1167389
https://news.un.org/en/story/2026/08/1168123
https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2025/country-chapters/afghanistan
https://openurl.ebsco.com/contentitem/lgd:169977239
https://news.un.org/en/story/2026/07/1168039
https://press.un.org/en/2026/sc16454.doc.htm
Join us in person for intention holding:
https://www.legacylabyrinthproject.org/events-1 Labyrinth Activist Network Zoom calls
https://insighttimer.com/cliverj Daily intention holding with Clive on Insight Timer.
Our websites:
www.heartfulimpact.com/ Our show website.
https://globalhealingresponse.com/ Global Healing Response ~ Offers a wealth of prayers, suggested practices and prompts in response to environmental catastrophe, conflict, and other world events.
https://www.legacylabyrinthproject.org/ Legacy Labyrinth Project ~ Creating global energetic connections through the labyrinth; inspiring active intention sending using the labyrinth via labyrinth activism.
https://www.clivejohnsonministry.com/ Clive Johnson Ministry ~ Events and offerings aimed at building beloved community, including weekly energy holding vigils and Power of Eight group.
https://insighttimer.com/cliverj ~ Daily intention holding.
Impact! Is presented by Ellen Bintz and Clive Johnson. It is produced by Impact Productions.
Our show content is hosted by Podbean and available from all major podcast platforms.
Our theme music is by Chris Collins. indiemusicbox.com.
Our logo artwork is by AltoClassic (Getty Images/istock).
Contact us via Facebook Messenger from the Impact! Facebook group, or using any of the contact methods mentioned on our websites.
Impact! www.heartfulimpact.com.
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