2021–2026: The Taliban return & girls lose years of schooling

The government collapses

In August 2021, Taliban forces advanced rapidly as U.S. and allied troops withdrew. Afghan government forces disintegrated in many areas, and President Ashraf Ghani fled Kabul. The Taliban entered the city on 15 August. The chaotic evacuation at Kabul airport separated families and exposed the depth of fear among Afghans associated with the former government, journalism and women’s public life.

Taliban officials promised order and said that services would continue. The movement’s supreme leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, remained the central figure in its religious and political hierarchy. Afghanistan’s citizens did not choose the new administration in a competitive national election.

Classrooms closed beyond primary grades

Primary schools continued for many children, but girls were largely blocked from secondary education after 2021. Plans to reopen schools in March 2022 were reversed. In December 2022 the authorities barred women from universities. Restrictions also affected women’s work in aid organizations and many other sectors. An Afghan girl who was about to begin seventh grade in 2021 could spend the following years outside a formal classroom, even if her family wanted her to study.

In August 2026, UNICEF reported that more than 2.6 million girls had been denied secondary education since the return of Taliban rule. The education restrictions have consequences beyond the students: fewer qualified female professionals can later serve patients or teach the next generation. The country already faced poverty, drought, displacement and a weakened economy, making the cost of lost schooling still greater.

Rule, dissent & the choices families face

Some Afghans report improved security in particular areas after years of war, while international monitors document severe limits on civic freedoms and women’s daily lives. Families, teachers and community groups have continued seeking ways for girls to learn, though unofficial education is uncertain and cannot replace nationwide access. The Taliban’s laws are decisions of an identifiable ruling movement. Other Muslim societies and religious figures have taken different positions on girls’ education and government accountability.