“Afghanistan has fallen into a pit of darkness, and nobody is paying attention to it,” she said. On Tuesday, in the capital of neighbouring Pakistan, more than 100 Afghan women protested, carrying a poster that read: “15 August Black Day in Afghanistan”. For Kabul resident Farah, who had to abandon her medical studies under new laws, the anniversary was also a grim reminder. “I am facing an unknown future and deprived of the right to an education, and at the same time I see the Taliban celebrating their victory today,” she said. “I see a dark future for myself.”