ISLAMABAD: UN Women has called on the Taliban regime in Afghanistan to immediately lift restrictions that prevent Afghan women staff from entering United Nations premises, warning that the ban continues to undermine humanitarian operations and deepen the crisis in women’s rights in Afghanistan.
Marking one year since the restrictions were imposed nationwide, UN Women said in a statement issued on Monday that Afghan women working for the UN remain barred from accessing offices and compounds across the country, severely limiting the organization’s ability to deliver assistance to women and girls.
“The ban is part of a broader campaign of restrictions imposed on Afghan women since the Taliban returned to power in 2021, with more than 100 decrees curtailing their rights to education, employment, movement and public life,” said the agency.
According to UN Women, Afghanistan remains the only country in the world where girls are systematically banned from secondary school, and women are prohibited from attending university.
The agency warned that the country could lose more than 25,000 female teachers and health workers by 2030 if the restrictions continue.
UN Women further said that the humanitarian situation is worsening, with more than 10.7 million women and girls requiring humanitarian assistance in 2026.
It added that restrictions on women working for NGOs, coupled with international funding cuts, have made it increasingly difficult to provide essential services.
The agency also highlighted the economic impact of women’s exclusion, saying only 7% of Afghan women participate in the labor force compared with 84% of men, with the restrictions projected to cost Afghanistan hundreds of millions of dollars in lost economic output.
UN Women urged the international community to continue supporting Afghan women-led organizations, warning that many face closure because of funding reductions despite providing critical healthcare, protection, mental health, and livelihood services.