UN: Taliban Seek Systematic Erasure of Women from Public Life in Afghanistan

The organization notes that women under Taliban rule are being pushed into an increasingly restrictive environment that curtails their rights.

This 13-page report, which examines the state of human rights, especially women’s rights, before the Taliban’s enactment of the "Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice" law, states that the Taliban have imposed restrictive and rights-violating decrees in nearly all sectors.

The UN Women emphasized that since the Taliban regained power, the situation for both women and men across Afghanistan has "deteriorated."

Based on the UN Women’s consultative meetings with Afghan women, approximately 79% of respondents reported being denied access to public spaces like parks and health centers over the past year.

Additionally, 69% of the women surveyed said they did not feel safe leaving their homes, leading to social isolation and an increase in mental health issues, including depression and anxiety.

The report also highlights issues in employment and women’s limited access to formal and informal legal services, noting that roughly 79% of women had not used any formal institution for conflict resolution in the past year.

According to the report, since the Taliban’s return, women’s access to public and recreational spaces has drastically declined, and economic conditions, particularly for women, have worsened significantly. Although the Taliban have not fully banned women from working in the private sector, their discriminatory decrees have severely limited women’s employment opportunities.

Some respondents also mentioned a shift in societal attitudes toward women’s rights, attributing this change to fears of Taliban retaliation and the resurgence of patriarchal traditions.

Since their return to power, the Taliban have imposed widespread restrictions on the rights and freedoms of citizens, especially women, and have also barred girls from continuing their education.