A Pashto-led consensus council shaping Afghanistan’s political order
UN agencies and multiple news outlets have reported that, five years after the Taliban retook Kabul, Afghan women and girls remain formally banned from secondary and higher education, face broad curbs on employment and movement, and are losing access to health training such as midwifery, producing a deepening human-rights and public-health crisis.
The Taliban’s return to power has reached five years as Kabul marks the anniversary with ceremonies and crackdowns. While security has improved and some infrastructure projects advance, women face sweeping restrictions, humanitarian needs rise, and international recognition remains limited. Attacks against officials persist, while aid workers face detentions amid a fragile economy.