Since the fall of Kabul in 2021, Afghan girls and women have been barred from secondary school and university and pushed out of most public life; they are not allowed to enter the workforce or, to be realistic, even to set foot outside their homes without a man.

So what is there left to do? Many Afghan women have shifted their activism and public life to social media, especially X. It has become their primary channel of communication and platform for advocacy.

Consequently, though it is unclear why this has to be the case, the amount of hate directed towards Afghan women has tripled. However, most international attention gives little to no attention to the proportionate rise in hate speech with the number of Afghan women on social media.

Why does this matter? Why does hate speech against this vulnerable population matter when the more urgent problem seems to be the fact that these women are receiving no education, suffering domestic violence, and being deprived of basic human rights? Because no one wants to speak up for these people. Social media is basically the only place where these women can speak up and try to bring about change, yet hate speech is creating a massive barrier, pushing them away from the only platform they have.

Also, influencers without experience in Afghanistan constantly try to shift the narrative about Afghanistan into a fake one: “It’s actually not that bad,” “The tour guide was nicer than I thought,” “It will get better.” These women, who are the active victims, are the only ones who can correct these narratives, share powerful stories, and call for the reignition of international attention.

Hate speech discourages activists from speaking up, scares women and girls from posting about their experiences, and blocks potential audiences. It is also hurtful by its nature to the girls who have already fled Afghanistan and are trying to find a new life and help out the ones trying to flee.

In this journal, we dissect the elements of hate speech against Afghan girls, discuss the extent of the damage it does, and strive to find a solution.

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