By: Arezo Rahimi In the wake of the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan in August 2021, the fate of the country’s young women has become increasingly uncertain and bleak. The Taliban’s decision to suspend secondary and high school education for girls in March 2022 has further exacerbated the dire situation, effectively erasing women from public life. The condition worsened in November when the Taliban extended their oppressive policies to forbid women from attending university or working with national and international organizations. Over the last two years, the Taliban has issued a series of decrees that have significantly impacted women’s rights

By Alma Begum* Through its home schools, Daricha School (called Maktab-e Daricha in Persian) seeks to educate young girls, mothers and elderly women, many of whom have spent a lifetime dreaming of literacy, reading, and writing but have never found the opportunity to realize this dream. Not only has Daricha gathered girls who can no longer attend schools, but it encourages their mothers and other female relatives, and even neighbours to learn how to read and write. When we receive reports on literacy programs, my colleagues and I in the technical department of Daricha enthusiastically review the videos, photos,

Since the Taliban took over on August 15, 2021, Afghanistan’s education system, among other deteriorating situations, has been severely impacted. In this backdrop, underground schools have emerged as a crucial means of resistance against the Taliban’s illegitimate occupation. Stripped of their most fundamental rights and nearly erased from society, women and girls have found hope for a brighter future through the underground education system. Female teachers bravely provide for their families, while students continue their education under the watchful eyes of the Taliban leadership, Haibatullah Akhundzada. This article explores why underground schools are currently the best option in Afghanistan.