The return of Taliban: Burqa prices surge tenfold in Afghanistan

The Taliban have returned and so has the fear among many Afghan women of losing the gains they have made over the past 20 years. This fear reflects in the demand for burqas that has surged tenfold in Kabul.

The Taliban have recaptured power with a promise of bringing a new era of peace in Afghanistan. But what the fighters have brought with themselves for the people of Afghanistan are the haunting memories of their brutal rule before they were ousted by the US following the September 11, 2001 (9/11) attacks on the United States. Among the many fears the Afghans are living with is that of the women in the country who are dreading the loss of the gains they have made over the years in terms of civil rights. The fear reflects in the fact that the demand for burqas, an enveloping outer garment worn by women in some Islamic traditions, has skyrocketed in Afghanistan.