Five years after Taliban takeover, Afghan women remain trapped in deepening rights crisis

Five years after the Taliban's return to power on August 15, 2021, Afghan women and girls remain severely restricted, facing a deepening human rights crisis. The Taliban authorities have systematically removed women from public life, dismantling their access to education, employment, and civic participation.

The United Nations reports that Afghan women and girls are now in their fifth year of near-total exclusion. Girls are prohibited from attending school beyond the sixth grade, and women face sweeping limitations on their ability to work, move freely, and access public spaces. Taliban decrees also enforce strict dress codes and often mandate male guardianship for women's public activities.

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too hard to be a girl in Afghanistan.

UN human rights monitors warn against legitimizing the Taliban regime, citing intensified oppression with no signs of moderation. In a recent tragic incident, a 16-year-old girl reportedly died by suicide in late July 2026 after being denied further education. Her family stated she left a note saying it was "too hard to be a girl in Afghanistan."

This individual tragedy underscores the devastating impact of denying girls fundamental rights. The UN experts' statement, endorsed by over two dozen specialists, urges governments to refrain from normalizing relations with the Taliban until there is clear, verifiable progress on human rights, particularly for women and girls. Many working and educated women have fled the country due to harassment, with Pakistan's forced repatriation campaign further exacerbating the situation for those who sought refuge there.

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intensified oppression with no evidence of impending moderation.