It was a late September afternoon when I spotted a pair of beautiful earrings on Instagram. Curious, I followed the account’s links to an online shop. Alongside the other items, they offered curated gift packages. When I messaged them, I learned the owner was a young woman.

The shop owner, Diana (a pseudonym), responded with warmth and professionalism. She patiently shared photos of different products, helping me select the perfect gift. Her grace and attention to detail immediately struck me.

Diana is 26 years old. In 2021, when the Taliban banned women from working, she and her two sisters launched their online shop from Herat. A university graduate from a financially stable family, Diana was determined to stand on her own feet—even as the Taliban sought to strip her freedoms.

“I want to be independent, to pay for everything I need without waiting for someone else,” she told me.

Her father, trusting her vision, provided the initial capital. One sister, living in China, helped source goods. The other, a former math and physics teacher, became the shop’s financial manager.

Diana’s story is exceptional, not because of her ambition, but because she was born into a family that chose to support her. In a country where many fathers are forced by poverty to marry off or sell their daughters, Diana’s father stood by her.

I ordered two pairs of earrings, hoping to surprise a friend in Herat, and in doing so, support a fellow woman’s business. Transgressive though that might sound given the Taliban’s sweeping restrictions that have reshaped the lives of millions of Afghan women, the process appears to have been largely compliant.

The Taliban prohibits women from speaking or showing our faces in public. An online transaction can be carried out silently, invisibly.

The Taliban prohibits women from leaving home without a male escort. I didn’t have to leave my home.

Diana’s story is a testament to the enduring creativity and resilience of Afghan women. Since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, this ingenuity has become a lifeline for so many. That year, the regime issued a letter banning women from working in domestic and international NGOs. In December 2022, the ban extended to United Nations agencies.

In this climate, online businesses have become sanctuaries. While online shops have existed in Afghanistan for years, those owned by women seem to have surged since the Taliban restricted women’s movement and employment.

Sanam, 25, is another young woman whose entrepreneurial spirit led her to get creative under the Taliban’s ever-expanding restrictions. She has been selling cosmetics and clothes online for two years. A law graduate who once had very different professional aims, Sanam turned to online sales when every other option seemed to disintegrate. I was struck in particular by Sanam’s courage in opening an online shop in Nangarhar, a particularly conservative province with rigid social and cultural norms.

“I started selling products online to cover my personal expenses during the economic crisis,” she said.

Like Diana, Sanam values financial independence. Her monthly income, around 4,000 to 5,000 Afghanis ($60–70) is modest, barely enough to cover basic necessities like food and phone credit. In the process of building and growing her small business, Sanam has learned to prioritize quality, trust, and consistency — attributes she believes keep her clients coming back. Despite the state of women’s rights in the country, she has developed an unwavering optimism that she can create something sustainable.

Stories like Diana’s and Sanam’s are a beacon. With creativity, family support, and determination, they are carving paths not only for themselves but for others watching quietly on the sidelines.

This week my friend received her gift and loved the earrings. They weren’t expensive, but they were high-quality and deeply meaningful. Because they came from a woman-owned business, each piece is a quiet act of defiance wrapped in courage and care.

In a country where women are silenced, these young entrepreneurs speak through their work. Every product they sell is a thread in the fabric of resistance. Their stories remind us that even under the harshest restrictions, Afghan women continue to build, create, and inspire.