Minister for Foreign Affairs, Helen McEntee has said that over the past five years, women and girls in Afghanistan have been subjected to an appalling campaign of discriminatory violence, abuse and exclusion.

The Taliban marked five years since returning to power with a victory parade in Kabul. The show of control contrasted with tightening restrictions, economic strain and a worsening humanitarian crisis.

Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers on Saturday marked five years since sweeping back to power.

Street rallies mark five years of Taliban rule in Afghanistan, highlighting both support and increasing restrictions on daily life.

On August 15, 2021, as US troops were nearing the end of their military withdrawal from Afghanistan, Taliban militants reestablished control over the country. In interviews with RFE/RL, Afghan and US officials described the militant takeover as Afghan civilians tried to flee Kabul in desperation.

Just before the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in 2021, RFE/RL spoke with several young Afghans in Kabul who voiced their fears and anxieties about the future. We have since followed how their lives have unfolded. We reconnected with them on the fifth anniversary of the Taliban’s seizure of power.