Afghan Women Face Deepening Exclusion as UN Index Exposes Widening Gender Gap
NEW YORK — Nearly four years after the Taliban seized power, Afghan women remain cut off from schools, jobs, and public life at an alarming rate. A new United Nations study, released Tuesday, confirms that 78% of young Afghan women are neither employed, in school, nor receiving any formal training.
The 2024 Afghanistan Gender Index, the first large-scale analysis of women’s empowerment under Taliban rule, shows the country has the second-widest gender gap in the world, with a 76% disparity between male and female outcomes across health, education, economic participation, and decision-making.
The data reveals that Afghan women are accessing just 17% of their full potential, compared to the global average of 60.7% for women.
The report was developed by UN Women with financial backing from the European Union. It includes verified data collected in 2023 and early 2024.
“Afghanistan’s greatest resource is its women and girls,” said Sima Bahous, Executive Director of UN Women. “Their potential continues to be untapped, yet they persevere. Afghan women are running businesses, delivering aid, and speaking out against injustice. Their courage is reshaping communities under impossible conditions.”
Since 2021, the Taliban has imposed sweeping bans on female education. Secondary and university-level schooling for girls has been halted, including medical training programs. As a result, the secondary school completion rate for girls is expected to fall to zero in the near term.
The economic picture is equally stark. Only 24% of Afghan women participate in the labor force, compared to 89% of men. Most women who do work are in insecure, low-paying roles, often from home. Three out of four women report spending large amounts of time on unpaid domestic work. Among men, that figure is just 3%.
Access to financial services is also limited. Men in Afghanistan are three times more likely than women to hold a bank account or use mobile money.
Despite the restrictions, the report shows that economic desperation has driven more women to seek employment. Between 2020 and 2022, the number of unemployed women actively looking for work quadrupled. The number of employed women doubled over the same period, indicating a strong push from women to survive amid humanitarian and economic collapse.
No women hold formal positions in the Taliban-led government or in local administrative offices. This has led to complete exclusion of women from shaping policies and laws that directly impact their lives.
Still, Afghan women continue to organize, engage, and demand representation, often through informal channels or at the community level.
The Gender Index will serve as a baseline to track future shifts in women’s rights in Afghanistan. It will also guide humanitarian groups, governments, and policymakers working to restore basic freedoms for Afghan women and girls.
UN Women says it will continue supporting Afghan women through ground programs, data collection, and advocacy at international platforms.
“We must stand with them in their pursuit of a country that reflects their rights and aspirations,” Bahous said.
