Locked out, shut in, left hungry: Afghanistan after Taliban takeover

The Taliban’s return changed Afghanistan from a country already facing hardship into one governed by increasingly strict controls. Since August 2021, women and girls have borne the greatest burden. Their access to education, employment, movement and public life has narrowed sharply.

Girls were barred from secondary education beyond Grade 6, and women were excluded from universities. Women also lost access to many workplaces and public spaces, including parks, gyms, bathhouses and beauty salons. Later rules controlled clothing, speech, travel and behavior.

These restrictions have combined with food insecurity, economic hardship, displacement and falling humanitarian assistance. The result is a deepening national crisis. UN Human Rights chief Volker Türk warned that Afghanistan’s worsening situation was receiving too little international attention, while hope diminished for people already facing severe loss.

The decrees are orders issued by the Taliban that regulate women’s education, employment, movement, appearance and behavior. They matter because they reach into ordinary activities, including studying, working, shopping, seeking healthcare and speaking in public.

The restrictions began with education bans beyond Grade 6 and the exclusion of women from universities. Beauty salons were later closed, while women were barred from parks, gyms and public bathhouses. The Law on the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice added controls over clothing, public voices and behavior. Women also faced travel and employment limits and male-guardian requirements.

A January 2026 Criminal Procedure Code added further restrictions inside households. It allowed limited punishment for husbands who abuse wives and permitted discretionary punishments for “disobedience.” Together, these measures have shrunk women’s public and private lives and made routine tasks much more difficult.

The restrictions are extensive because they operate across education, work, movement, appearance and public behavior. They are not isolated rules. Together, they limit women’s opportunities and reduce their participation in social, economic and educational life.

UN Women reports more than 100 decrees targeting women and girls since the Taliban returned. UNICEF reports that more than 2.6 million girls have been denied secondary education. Women have also been excluded from universities since December 2022. Other bans closed beauty salons and blocked access to parks, gyms and public bathhouses.

The numbers show both the breadth and the duration of exclusion. More than half of surveyed women left home only once or twice a month, and nearly three-quarters felt unsafe leaving without a male guardian. These figures indicate that restrictions affect daily movement as well as long-term education and employment prospects.

Movement restrictions turn ordinary tasks into difficult or risky journeys. Women may need a male guardian, face limits on travel and avoid public places. This affects work, shopping, study and healthcare access. It also reduces independence and contact with other people.

The UN assessment found that more than half of women surveyed left home only once or twice a month. Nearly three-quarters felt unsafe leaving without a male guardian, while more than half avoided public spaces, including markets and healthcare facilities. Employment restrictions and closed beauty salons also remove income and female-only social spaces.

The article does not provide figures measuring women’s mental health. It does show conditions that can deepen isolation and fear: limited movement, reduced income, unsafe travel and avoided medical care. The likely long-term effect is a shrinking daily life, though the article does not quantify that psychological impact.

Education builds the skills that schools, hospitals and other institutions need. When girls cannot continue studying and women cannot work freely, fewer people can qualify for skilled roles. This weakens both today’s services and tomorrow’s workforce.

The article gives a direct example through female teachers. Their number fell from 98,196 in 2019 to 66,208 in 2024, a decline of about 32.5 percent. UNICEF warned that Afghanistan could lose more than 25,000 female teachers and healthcare workers by 2030 if restrictions continue. Girls denied education also lose routes into professional training.

The consequences reach beyond individual careers. Afghanistan may have fewer future teachers, doctors, nurses and other professionals needed to rebuild institutions. The article therefore presents education restrictions as a national capacity problem, not only a rights issue. Continued bans could make recovery harder and deepen shortages in essential services.

Hunger grows when people lose income, homes, services or reliable assistance. The article links Afghanistan’s food insecurity with economic hardship, displacement and declining humanitarian support. Winter adds urgency because millions more face the threat of hunger as temperatures and needs rise.

The article does not assign a separate number to each cause. It describes a crisis in which reduced humanitarian assistance meets worsening economic conditions. Displaced people may have fewer resources, while families facing unemployment or limited services have less ability to buy food. Winter sets a pressing deadline for those already struggling.

The current outlook is therefore fragile. The country has endured years of loss, but support is declining while hunger risks increase. UN Human Rights chief Volker Türk said the situation was going from bad to worse and warned that inadequate international attention was leaving Afghans increasingly abandoned.

Human capital is the knowledge, skills, health and abilities people develop through education, training and experience. It matters because economies and public institutions depend on capable people. Schools need teachers, hospitals need medical workers, and governments need trained staff.

The article shows what happens when that resource is restricted. Girls are barred from secondary education beyond Grade 6, and women cannot attend universities. Afghanistan risks losing future teachers, doctors, nurses and other professionals. Female teachers already fell from 98,196 in 2019 to 66,208 in 2024.

Educating the whole population broadens the pool of people who can fill essential roles and create economic opportunities. The article also reports that 93% of children completing primary school were still working toward basic reading proficiency. Without stronger learning and equal access, Afghanistan will struggle to rebuild institutions and services.