Since the Taliban retook power in Afghanistan in August 2021, women have been robbed of their right to learn, work and move freely. Their exclusion from public life is having dire consequences for the entire country. We discuss the situation with Melissa Cornet, a human rights researcher who works with the NGO CARE. She notes that the lack of new female graduates means that there will soon be no more women teachers, doctors or nurses in Afghanistan. She also points out that while bans on female aid workers are having a devastating effect, many NGOs are closing not because of the bans, but due to lack of funding – with only 5 percent of Afghanistan's humanitarian needs currently being met.