Laila Ahmad, a gym instructor, leads a group of women through a covert workout session in the basement of a private residence in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan. The windows are covered, there is no upbeat music playing, and participants enter through a back door.
Last month, the Taliban restricted women from entering parks and gyms. Ahmad, a 41-year-old divorcee with a specialization in yoga and fitness, is still resistant.
She told the Thomson Reuters Foundation, "Women can't go to restaurants and cultural events by themselves anymore, or even walk alone in the park, so these underground gyms are like a beacon of hope for us,".
The Taliban have banned women from most jobs since taking command in August 2021, shut girls' high schools, and imposed strict restrictions on their clothing and movement. The treatment of women by the Islamic organization may comprise a crime against humanity, according to the UN. The Taliban deny the charge and argue that their understanding of Islamic law respects women's rights. But, some women are breaking the law all around the nation to create illegal companies, including gyms, beauty parlors, and schools.
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