A new report by the Afghanistan Journalists Support Organization reveals that more than 62 percent of women in Afghanistan have either witnessed violence, fallen victim to it, or have lost fundamental rights since the Taliban regained control.
The report is based on an online survey assessing the state of women’s rights under the Taliban.
The survey, which collected responses from 107 women, aimed to gather the views of Afghan women about their rights and social conditions, both within Afghanistan and abroad. Of those surveyed, 91 women currently reside in 19 Afghan provinces, while 17 live outside the country.
According to the survey, 37 percent of respondents indicated that they have not personally experienced rights violations. However, many of those who reported experiencing violations expressed feeling insecure due to fears of retribution and a lack of resources to document their experiences. These women described facing widespread repression.
An overwhelming 93.5 percent of participants reported observing a deterioration in human rights over the past six months, and 92.5 percent anticipated that the situation would worsen in the coming months.
The Afghanistan Journalists Support Organization stated that the Taliban’s return to power has led to significant setbacks for women’s rights in Afghanistan. Within weeks of taking control, the Taliban began implementing policies that severely restrict the rights of women and girls.
The report also highlighted severe restrictions imposed by the Taliban on women’s employment, including in the media. Women are largely banned from most jobs outside their homes, with limited exceptions in healthcare and education, where female services are deemed essential.
The survey reported that women previously employed in government, media, and civil society organizations have been forced to leave their jobs.
One respondent, a former journalist, described the current reality: “My husband and I both lost our jobs. He worked for national security during the republic, and now, we’re both unemployed. We have four children, and there is nothing we can do. The situation for women and girls in Afghanistan is worsening every day. Poverty, forced marriages, and social restrictions are taking young girls’ lives.”
The organization stressed that the exclusion of women from the workforce not only violates their basic human rights but also deprives Afghanistan of a crucial part of its labor force, hampering the country’s development and recovery efforts.
The report concludes that Afghanistan’s conditions have significantly worsened, especially for women, under the Taliban’s rule. Severe restrictions are now imposed on women’s rights, particularly in education, employment, and public life, underscoring the challenges faced by women as they navigate the current regime’s policies.
