Four years after the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan, women continue to face harsh restrictions. Girls also experience limitations on their fundamental rights. Since August 2021, the Taliban’s de facto authorities (DFA) have issued many directives. These have stripped women of freedoms in education, work, movement, and public participation. Girls are banned from secondary schools, and women are barred from universities, many jobs, and public spaces such as parks and gyms.
Beyond legal and social restrictions, overlapping humanitarian crises and widespread poverty have worsened daily life for all Afghans, especially women and girls. The impact is not only personal but also national, deepening inequalities and accelerating Afghanistan’s decline, as revealed in UN Women’s 2024 Afghanistan Gender Index.
Access to Healthcare: A Growing Crisis for Women
Access to healthcare has become alarmingly limited for Afghan women. Mobility restrictions, fear, and discriminatory policies prevent many from seeking medical care. Many women live in constant fear, often unable to leave their homes safely. When they do, they face long journeys to clinics that sometimes refuse treatment simply because they are women.
The shortage of female healthcare providers has worsened since December 2024, when the DFA banned women from studying medicine or midwifery. This ban eliminates one of the few remaining pathways for women to become health workers.
These restrictions have severe consequences: maternal mortality rates are rising, especially due to adolescent pregnancies linked to child marriage. Most women cannot make independent health decisions, as male relatives often control access to care. The confinement also triggers a mental health crisis marked by anxiety and despair due to isolation and lack of support.
Education Ban: Ending Girls’ Formal Learning
Afghan girls face a harsh reality—education ends at grade six. Since September 2021, secondary education for girls has been banned. Even before this, nearly 30% of girls never began primary school due to poverty, gender norms, and safety fears.
Many families withdraw children from school to ease financial burdens or prepare girls for early marriage, which has increased amid economic hardship. While some informal and online learning programs exist, they reach very few and offer no pathway to formal education or employment.
The consequences are stark:
- 78% of young Afghan women are not in education, employment, or training, nearly four times the rate for young men.
- Early childbearing is projected to rise by 45% by 2026.
- Maternal mortality could increase by more than 50%.
- The education ban costs Afghanistan an estimated 2.5% of its GDP annually.
This crisis affects not only individual futures but also the country’s economic and social development.
Employment Restrictions: One of the Largest Gender Workforce Gaps
Afghanistan now has one of the widest gender employment gaps globally. Only about 25% of women participate in the workforce compared to nearly 90% of men. This disparity results from Taliban bans that prohibit women from working in many sectors, including the civil service, NGOs, and beauty salons.
Most working women are relegated to low-paying, informal jobs with little stability. Financial inclusion is minimal, with fewer than 7% of women holding bank accounts or using mobile money.
Women’s organizations face immense pressure under Taliban rule. Female NGO workers are banned, women are removed from leadership roles, and many groups have been forced to eliminate “women” from project documents. This has led to closures and severe cutbacks in women-focused civil society efforts.
Afghan women’s lives in 2025 are marked by shrinking freedoms, economic hardship, and limited opportunities. The international community’s support and pressure remain critical to improving their access to education, healthcare, and employment. Despite the challenges, many Afghan women and girls continue to hope for a future where their rights are restored, and they can fully participate in society.