Taliban Rule Leaves Afghan Women Fighting for Survival

Afghan women say their lives have changed dramatically since the Taliban returned to power five years ago, with restrictions on education, employment, travel and public life affecting millions across the country.

Women interviewed by the BBC include students, jewellery makers, former journalists and healthcare workers. Many said they had been forced to abandon their education, careers and ambitions because of the Taliban’s policies.

One dental assistant from Kabul province said poverty, unemployment and restrictions on education had become so severe that “survival has become the priority.”

Education and employment severely restricted

Girls have been prevented from continuing secondary education beyond the sixth grade, while women were later barred from universities and medical training institutions.

A 24-year-old woman working in a jam factory said she had studied Law and Political Science at university because she wanted to defend the rights of women. However, the closure of universities forced her to abandon her studies.

A former journalist from Bamyan province said she lost her job and independence after the Taliban takeover. She now spends most of her time doing household chores, saying that many of the dreams she had worked toward were suddenly lost.

Healthcare faces growing crisis

The restrictions on female education are also affecting Afghanistan's healthcare system.

The country has around 6,000 midwives, while the United Nations previously estimated that an additional 18,000 were needed. Since women were banned from medical and midwifery training in late 2024, the supply of newly trained female healthcare workers has effectively stopped.

One midwife told the BBC that she serves an area where only one female doctor and one midwife are available for about 50,000 people.

She also expressed concern about her unborn daughter, asking what kind of future she would have if girls continued to lose access to education.

Women continue to face restrictions

Over the past five years, the Taliban has introduced a series of restrictions affecting women, including bans on universities, beauty salons, parks and gyms, as well as restrictions on travel and public behaviour.

In June, a rare protest took place in Herat after women were reportedly detained over alleged violations of strict dress rules. Witnesses said Taliban forces used live ammunition to disperse the demonstration.

The Taliban has repeatedly said it supports women's education and employment within its interpretation of Islamic law, but girls and women remain excluded from many educational institutions.

As the fifth anniversary of the Taliban's return to power approaches, Afghan women interviewed by the BBC say their greatest concern is no longer simply achieving their ambitions, but finding a way to survive and protect their families under increasingly restrictive conditions.

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