Women and girls in Afghanistan defy Taliban-imposed laws to receive an education

September 1, 2026 - 10:16

Five years after the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan, the promise of a more moderate rule has long faded, replaced by some of the harshest restrictions on women anywhere in the world. Among the most damaging is the outright ban on secondary and higher education for girls and young women. Yet, despite the threat of punishment, many are refusing to give up on their futures. They are not marching in the streets, but they are learning in secret.

Small, underground classrooms have sprung up in private homes across Kabul and other cities. Women who were once university students now act as teachers for younger girls, holding sessions in shifts to avoid detection. They use simple notebooks and whatever textbooks they can find. The risk is real. If discovered, these women face arrest, fines, or worse. But for many, the alternative is unthinkable.

One woman, a former engineering student, told a visiting reporter that she now teaches math to a group of twelve girls in her living room. She said the Taliban have taken away the buildings, the official degrees, and the public spaces, but they cannot take away what is already in her head. She believes that this knowledge is a form of resistance that cannot be silenced.

The international community has largely condemned the bans, but aid and diplomatic pressure have not changed the Taliban's position. In response, Afghan women are building a parallel system of education, one that is fragile, dangerous, and utterly determined. They know that this generation will not be lost if they can help it. They are waiting for the moment when the doors will open again, and they intend to be ready.