Afghan women tell the BBC their lives are unrecognisable after five years of Taliban rule

Afghanistan is currently the only country in the world where girls are officially banned from secondary and higher education.

Shakiba recounted that “15 August, when the government fell, was the worst and most painful day of my life.

“Every year when this date comes I feel as if an old wound opens again and a new feeling of defeat fills my heart.

“That day I felt that many of the dreams I had carried inside me for years were suddenly taken away.”

Though Shakiba has managed to finish her secondary education online – “a very important victory” – she says her life-long goal of becoming a pilot feels impossible.

“Whenever I looked at the sky I imagined myself flying an airplane and seeing the world from above. I wanted to fly freely and experience a world without limits,” she said.

The Taliban’s foreign minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, was asked by the BBC about education for girls in Afghanistan, specifically referencing a Unicef report stating that around 2.6 million girls in the country are now unable to attend school beyond Grade 6.

Amir Khan Muttaqi replied that “it is not correct to say everything is banned for women”, adding that “right now, three million girls are going to schools and madrassas [religious centres focused on Islamic teachings]”.

When asked how religious schools can produce doctors in the country, Muttaqi said: “Women are not totally restricted on all walks of life… Only one small part (of their affairs) is restricted until further notice.”