Girls above a certain grade level are barred from schooling, sparking domestic and global criticism. Boys continue to study, but curricula are increasingly focused on religious instruction. Women face severe restrictions, including being barred from most jobs, traveling without male guardians, and appearing in public without strict dress codes. Journalists and activists operate under heavy surveillance and censorship. Freedom of speech is highly restricted.
With frozen international assets and sanctions, the Taliban have leaned on taxation, trade routes, and some foreign aid to fund governance, though the Afghan economy remains fragile. Not all Afghans accept Taliban rule. Opposition forces, such as the National Resistance Front (NRF) led by Ahmad Massoud (son of famed anti-Taliban commander Ahmad Shah Massoud), continue to resist, particularly in the Panjshir Valley. Urban populations, especially women and young people, have organized protests demanding rights and freedoms, though such movements are often met with repression.
