Aug 14, 2026 · 32 min
Afghan women build lives under Taliban restrictions
Afghanistan five years after the Taliban return
The episode connects Afghanistan’s shrinking space for women with wider questions about state power, punishment, discrimination, disaster response, and collective resilience.
- 1Secret schools keep Afghan girls studying despite bans on secondary and university education.
- 2Women shut out of university are turning to small trades while facing increasingly narrow employment options.
- 3Reports on executions, anti-LGBT legislation, military strain, disaster rescue, and teamwork widen the episode’s view of pressure and resilience.
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Lyse Doucet’s report from an underground school shows Afghan girls preserving access to education while risking discovery.
The brief
Lyse Doucet visits a secret school where Afghan girls continue studying beyond sixth grade, despite the fear of discovery and punishment under Taliban restrictions.
With universities and many jobs closed to women, Afghan students and graduates describe the grief of abandoned studies and turn to trades such as jam-making and jewellery-making.
The episode broadens its lens to alleged hardship aboard the USS Lincoln, rising executions in the United States, and Ghana’s proposed anti-LGBT law.
A family and rescuers search for survivors after an earthquake in Colombia, while other reports examine biodegradable balloons and whether stroller running increases injury risk.
The closing rugby report finds a teamwork lesson in migrating geese, as Eddie Jones uses their formation to teach players how to support the ball carrier.
Lyse Doucet
Ghana
Pete Hegseth
United StatesListen to the full episode and explore every guest, topic, and moment on PodLume.