United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that the “systematic erasure” of women and girls from public life in Afghanistan is accelerating, accompanied by what he called “horrifying restrictions” on education, employment, health care, and access to justice.
Speaking at a UN Security Council meeting on women, peace, and security, Guterres said sexual violence and maternal mortality have also increased under Taliban rule.
“In Afghanistan, the systematic erasure of women and girls from public life is accelerating — accompanied by horrifying restrictions on access to education, employment, healthcare, and justice — as well as increased sexual violence and maternal mortality,” Guterres told the council.
Sima Bahous, executive director of UN Women, echoed his remarks, saying that Afghan women continue to suffer deeply under Taliban rule. She said that despite the bans, 92 percent of Afghans — both men and women — believe girls should have access to secondary education.
“It is also remarkable that a majority of Afghan women say they still hope to achieve their dreams one day,” Bahous said, citing UN Women’s continuous monitoring in Afghanistan.
Bahous warned that worsening global instability and funding cuts threaten to further erode women’s rights worldwide, including in Afghanistan. “We must be prepared for the painful truth that conditions for women and girls may get worse before they get better,” she said.
Since returning to power in 2021, the Taliban have imposed sweeping restrictions on Afghan women — barring them from work, secondary and higher education, most public spaces, and travel without a male guardian. The United Nations and rights groups have described these policies as gender persecution, a potential crime against humanity under international law.
Taliban, however, defend their policies as being consistent with their interpretation of Islamic law — an interpretation widely rejected by Afghan women and the international community.
