Timeline of main restrictions on women s rights

Following the signature of the US-Taliban peace agreement in February 2020, and the consequent withdrawal of US troops, the Taliban took over Kabul without facing significant opposition from the Afghan government or military on 15 August 2021. Despite their promises to uphold women’s rights by allowing them to continue to go to school and work in line with Sharia law, from the very first weeks of their rule, the Taliban began suppressing the rights of its citizens, with women the main target of restrictions. The reversal of progress on women’s rights has been the most notable and consistent characteristic of the de facto Taliban authorities (Figure 2).