Five years under Taliban rule: how life changed for Afghan women

Five years after the Taliban retook control of Afghanistan, the lives of the country's women and girls have changed dramatically. News agency AFP has gathered accounts from several Afghan women that illustrate how deeply these years have limited their opportunities to study, work and live an ordinary life.

Interrupted education

A girl who was 12 years old when the Taliban returned to power once planned to continue her schooling. Now, approaching adulthood, her education has been limited to six completed grades. Similarly, a student who had just enrolled at university in 2021 will likely never graduate, as higher education has since become unattainable for women.

A restricted daily life

The lives of adult women have also changed. A woman who used to work in an office is now barred from continuing most of her former professional and social life. These testimonies reflect a broader pattern, with restrictions on women affecting education, employment and freedom of movement alike.

"A 500-year-old woman"

One particularly striking account came from a 23-year-old Afghan woman, who told AFP she feels like "a 500-year-old woman who cannot die." The statement symbolically captures how heavily the past five years have weighed on the psychological and emotional state of Afghan women, creating a sense that time has stopped while suffering continues.

The accounts show that years of Taliban rule have significantly narrowed opportunities for Afghan women and girls in education, employment and personal freedom, leaving lasting effects on an entire generation.