Viewpoints Explained: Afghanistan, Four Years On: What’s Left For Women Under Taliban Rule?

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It’s been almost four years since the Taliban, a conservative Islamist group, retook control of Afghanistan. Since then, life for women and girls continues to grow worse. Getting an education and working most jobs are off-limits. Even basic healthcare can be denied if they show up alone.

According to the united nation’s human rights monitors, women are now barred from public spaces, running small businesses, and in some areas, even entering shops without a male relative. In hospitals, female patients who’ve shown up alone have reportedly been turned away. And in parts of the northeast, religious minorities have faced threats of forced conversion.

At the same time, a growing number of afghans are returning to the country – and this is often not by choice. Then u-n reports that in just one month, over 250,000 people re-entered Afghanistan, with tens of thousands being deported from Iran and Pakistan.

This influx is putting added pressure on a country already stretched thin. Afghanistan’s economy has slowed since 2021 and more than half the population now depends on international aid. Despite the growing economic and humanitarian crises, senior Taliban leaders continue to defend their actions with religious and cultural arguments. But for many women in the country, the reality is stark. Returning doesn’t mean safety. It often means fewer rights, less freedom and no clear path forward.