The Taliban are entrenched in Afghanistan after 2 years of rule. Women and girls pay the price

By RIAZAT BUTT
Associated Press

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — After two years in power, the Taliban are entrenched as rulers of Afghanistan, facing no significant opposition that could topple them. They have avoided an internal split by falling in line behind their ideologically unbending leader and have kept a struggling economy afloat, even as the international community refused to recognize them as the legitimate government of Afghanistan. Girls and women pay the price, with the Taliban barring them from jobs, education and virtually every aspect of public life. Prospects for a change toward moderation are slim as the Taliban mark the second anniversary of its takeover of Afghanistan this week.