Five years after the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan, women and girls across the country say their lives have been profoundly altered by the regime's policies, according to interviews conducted by the BBC.

The hard-line Islamist group has steadily curtailed the rights of the country's 22 million women since taking power in 2021, two decades after being ousted by a US-led coalition. The BBC, one of the few media outlets with continued access to Afghanistan, spoke with women from Kabul to rural areas.

Among the restrictions imposed are bans on schooling for girls over 12, limits on travel without a male guardian, and a law that effectively permits child marriage. The Taliban's foreign minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, told the BBC that "women are not totally restricted on all walks of life," but the women interviewed described constraints affecting nearly every aspect of their daily existence.

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Many of the women spoke on condition of anonymity, citing fear of reprisals. "People are so overwhelmed by poverty and daily hardships that many have been forced to put their education, dreams, and hopes for the future aside," said Ela, a Kabul resident. "Today, survival has become the priority."

Afghanistan remains the only country in the world where girls are officially barred from secondary and higher education. Shakiba, who completed her secondary schooling online, described the day the government fell as "the worst and most painful day of my life," adding that her dream of becoming a pilot now feels unattainable.

Muttaqi defended the regime's record, noting that "three million girls are going to schools and madrassas" and that "women are not totally restricted on all walks of life." However, UN data indicates only 7% of Afghan women are employed, following bans from many workplaces and fields of study.

Zuhal, a former news anchor, said she lost her job after a series of Taliban orders. "The days when I used to wake up to the sound of my alarm clock and get ready to watch TV have now become days when I wake up in the morning knowing that I have to spend the whole day at home," she said.

The Taliban has also resumed public corporal punishments, with official records showing hundreds of floggings since 2021. Shaima told the BBC she was whipped 50 times, an ordeal that left her scarred and her family traumatized. "They brought a paper and forced me to confess that: 'Yes, I am an apostate woman. I am collaborating with infidels and have spoken with unrelated men'," she recounted.

Manizha was publicly lashed 39 times over her friendship with a man and then jailed. "In prison, I experienced things that I have never even told my mother. I had no desire to continue living," she said.

Afghanistan also has one of the world's highest maternal mortality rates, with restrictions on treatment by male doctors limiting access to healthcare. Marzia, a midwife, described watching a 45-year-old mother of six die in front of her. Maryam, who is expecting a daughter, worried about her child's future: "If one day she gets married, becomes pregnant and needs a female doctor during childbirth, what if there isn't one? This is a matter of life and death."

Despite the hardships, some women expressed hope. Noori, 24, who started a jam-making company employing 10 women, said she wanted to help others become "independent, strong, and successful." Asma, 13, who dreams of becoming a doctor, said, "One day, everything will change... but we must continue with patience, and we will not lose hope."

Ela urged the international community not to forget Afghan women: "Speak up for Afghan women, support their right to education and work. Keep the world's attention on their situation. We need solidarity, not silence."

Source: BBC News