Afghan Women Facing Online Harassment in Their Struggle for Economic Survival

A number of women and girls in Kabul who run online businesses report frequent harassment by users in digital spaces. They say they do not feel safe, even in virtual environments. Some of these girls, who turned to online commerce as a way to earn a living, confirm that after a period of time, they were forced to abandon their work due to continuous harassment, inappropriate marriage proposals, and obscene sexual messages. According to them, in the absence of the rule of law, social support, and in the face of a deeply misogynistic society, there is no safe space for women to work.