In August 2021, the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan’s government, bringing with them a sweeping series of socio-political reforms that have instituted a system of gender apartheid on Afghan women. Since taking power, the Taliban has issued over 80 edicts aimed at suppressing women and girls in Afghanistan and erasing them from public life. Passed in August 2024, the latest in this series of edicts, a ban on women speaking in public, demonstrates just how cruel and draconian the Taliban regime is when it comes to women's rights. These gender-based restrictions have further complicated the establishment of the Taliban’s diplomatic relations, particularly with the Western world, which largely views the edicts as extreme. This widespread international condemnation has often had unintended negative effects, deepening the suffering of the Afghan people without weakening the Taliban’s grip on power.

The fall of Sheikh Hasina and Bangladesh’s Awami League party is a result of a civilian-led movement that challenged an increasingly authoritarian administration. As the country shifts into a new political era, the question remains “What happens next?”