In August 2021, the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan marked the beginning of a dark chapter for the country’s women and girls. Overnight, many classrooms fell silent, universities emptied and dreams of education were destroyed. For millions of Afghan girls and young women, the right to learn became a forbidden aspiration. Yet, in the face of oppression, a quiet resistance has emerged. Afghan women have been finding ways, such as underground schools and online classrooms, to reclaim their access to education.  After seizing power, the Taliban prohibited girl students from attending secondary schools, and by 2022, they extended the ban to universities. Currently, Afghanistan is the sole country in the world that prohibits secondary and higher education for girls and women; they can continue education only till sixth grade. According to the latest UNESCO data, as many as 1.4 million Afghan girls have been forced to stay out of…

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