Afghan women say lives changed after five years of Taliban

Five years after the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan, women and girls across the country report that their lives have become completely unrecognizable. The hard-line Islamist group has steadily eroded the rights of the nation's 22 million women since regaining control in 2021, two decades after a US-led military coalition ousted them from power.

As one of the few media organizations maintaining access to Afghanistan, the BBC spoke with women spanning from the heart of Kabul to vast rural landscapes. Many interviewees withheld their real names out of deep fear of reprisals, as the regime's strict rules infiltrate almost every single aspect of their daily existence.

Ela, a resident of Kabul, explained that residents are so overwhelmed by poverty and daily hardships that many are forced to set aside their education, dreams, and future hopes, noting that sheer survival now takes absolute priority.

Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event

Afghanistan remains the sole country globally where girls are officially prohibited from secondary and higher education. Shakiba shared that August 15, the day the previous government fell, marked the most painful moment of her life. Although she successfully completed secondary school online through tremendous personal effort, her lifelong dream of becoming a pilot now feels entirely out of reach.

"August 15, when the government fell, was the worst and most painful day of my life. Every year when this date comes I feel as if an old wound opens again and a new feeling of defeat fills my heart."