Taliban Restrictions Impact Afghan Women

Five years after the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan, women and girls are facing a systematic erosion of their rights, according to a joint statement by several United Nations agencies released on Wednesday. The de‑facto authorities have issued over 100 decrees that restrict access to education, limit employment opportunities, and curtail freedom of movement for women, effectively reversing gains made during the previous decade.

The new restrictions come amid a sharp decline in humanitarian assistance. Aid agencies report that funding cuts have reduced the capacity of on‑ground programs to support vulnerable populations, leaving many women and girls without the resources they need to pursue education or secure livelihoods. The combined effect of the decrees and the aid shortfall is creating a precarious environment for Afghan women, who now face heightened barriers to basic services and civil participation.

The United Nations warns that the continued curtailment of women’s rights, coupled with dwindling aid, threatens to reverse the modest progress made in gender equality since the fall of the previous regime. The agencies call for an urgent review of the Taliban’s policies and a restoration of international assistance to safeguard the rights and well‑being of Afghan women and girls.