‘They beat girls just for smiling’: life in Afghanistan one year after the Taliban’s return

Despite their promises of peace and stability, the country is on its knees, and its people are desperate

Maryam* is near the top of her sixth grade class in Kabul, which under Taliban rule means that her education should be ending in a few months.

But the 10-year-old, whose name we have changed to protect her identity, has a strategy to stay in school for another year, and her eyes dance with satisfaction as she explains her plan. I will make sure I don't answer too many questions right. I have decided to fail, so I can study sixth grade again."