UN Report: Afghan Women Face Unprecedented Restrictions Under Taliban Rule
The United Nations warned on Sunday, October 25, that Afghan women and girls are experiencing some of the most severe restrictions on their rights and freedoms in the country’s modern history since the Taliban seized power. UN Women, the UN agency dedicated to gender equality, stated that the Taliban lacks the political will and capacity to alleviate these pressures.
The report, funded by the European Union, revealed that nearly 80 percent of young women in Afghanistan are deprived of education, employment, and skill-building opportunities. This figure is four times higher than that of men, indicating a rapidly widening gender gap.
Afghanistan’s 2024 Gender Index, as outlined in the report, places the country as having the second-highest level of gender inequality in the world, behind only Yemen. According to the index, there is a 76 percent disparity between men and women in three key areas: health, education, and participation in decision-making.
The UN evaluates the status of women across five main dimensions: life and health, access to education, employment and access to financial resources, participation in decision-making structures, and freedom from violence.
Since the Taliban returned to power, women’s fundamental rights have been severely curtailed in many areas, including secondary and higher education, employment in government and civil institutions, and even free movement in society. These sweeping restrictions have sparked widespread domestic and international condemnation.
