Afghans gathered in Kabul this week to mark five years since the Taliban returned to power, a milestone observed through official ceremonies notable for the near-total absence of women. The commemorations underscored a transformed nation where the authorities have consolidated control but failed to secure international legitimacy, leaving the population grappling with deepening isolation and a worsening humanitarian emergency.
Since August 2021, the Taliban have established a mono-ethnic, all-male government that remains unrecognized by any state. While regional neighbors including China, Russia, and Pakistan maintain diplomatic missions in Kabul and engage pragmatically on security and Trade, formal recognition remains withheld. The primary sticking points cited by the international community are the systematic exclusion of women from public life and the absence of inclusive governance. This diplomatic freeze has restricted Afghanistan’s access to global financial systems and development funding, locking the Economy in a state of fragile dependency on humanitarian aid.
The economic contraction has been severe. Following the takeover, the sudden cessation of international budget support — which previously financed roughly 75 percent of public expenditure — triggered a collapse in basic services. Today, more than half the population relies on humanitarian assistance for survival, according to United Nations agencies. Food insecurity is widespread, Healthcare infrastructure is crumbling, and a liquidity crisis continues to paralyze the private sector. Meanwhile, the Taliban have prioritized revenue collection through customs and mining contracts, yet transparency regarding state finances remains opaque.
The most visible transformation concerns the status of women and girls. Over the past five years, the authorities have issued a cascade of edicts effectively erasing women from the public sphere. Secondary schools and universities remain closed to female students. Women are barred from most forms of employment outside the home, including work with non-governmental organizations and the United Nations. Access to parks, gyms, and bathhouses has been prohibited. Travel restrictions require a male guardian for long-distance journeys. The cumulative effect, described by UN experts as institutionalized gender-based apartheid, has removed an entire generation of women from education and the workforce.
The ceremony in Kabul reflected this reality. While male officials and supporters attended rallies and speeches celebrating the expulsion of foreign forces and the establishment of Islamic law, women were confined to their homes. The contrast highlighted the central paradox of the current administration: it claims to provide security and sovereignty, yet governs through policies that alienate the international donors essential for economic recovery and silence half the population.
Looking ahead, the trajectory remains uncertain. The Taliban show no indication of reversing their social restrictions to secure recognition. Donor fatigue is setting in among international partners, threatening the aid lifeline that sustains millions. For ordinary Afghans, the anniversary passes not with celebration but with a quiet endurance of poverty, restricted freedoms, and an unresolved political stalemate that offers no clear path toward stability or prosperity.
