Inside Afghanistan’s secret schools for girls

Five years after the Taliban’s return to power, Afghanistan’s women and girls face a systematic dismantling of their rights, including bans on secondary education and professional employment. BBC Chief International Correspondent Lyse Doucet, who has reported on the region for four decades, highlights the emergence of underground "secret schools" where teenage girls continue to study despite the constant threat of the morality police. While the Taliban seeks international legitimacy and claims to have improved security and reduced opium production, their restrictive edicts have effectively erased women from public life. Despite the bleak reality and the international community’s shifting focus to other global crises, many Afghan women remain resilient, viewing education as a vital preparation for a future where they hope to reclaim their roles as doctors, teachers, and active members of society.