Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: Afghanistan is facing a deepening humanitarian and economic crisis as restrictions on girls&rsquo; education and women&rsquo;s employment continue to erode essential services, according to a new UNICEF analysis. The report, titled The Cost of Inaction on Girls&rsquo; Education and Women&rsquo;s Labour Force Participation in Afghanistan, highlights a steady decline in female participation across key sectors. Female representation in the civil service dropped from 21% in 2023 to 17.7% in 2025, signaling a shrinking presence of women in public life. Since the ban on girl&#39;s secondary education was imposed in September 2021, more than one million girls have been denied access to schooling beyond the primary level. If the policy remains unchanged through 2030, that number is projected to exceed two million in a country already struggling with one of the lowest female literacy rates globally. UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell warned that the long-term consequences could be severe. She emphasized that Afghanistan risks losing a generation of professionals, including teachers, healthcare workers, and social service providers, who are essential to maintaining basic public services. The report describes a &ldquo;dual crisis&rdquo; in which the country is not only losing trained female professionals but also preventing the next generation from entering these fields. By 2030, Afghanistan could face a shortage of up to 20,000 women teachers and 5,400 healthcare workers. The education sector is already under strain. The number of female teachers in basic education fell by more than 9%, dropping from nearly 73,000 in 2022 to around 66,000 in 2024. This decline disproportionately affects girls, who are more likely to attend and remain in school when female teachers are present. Healthcare services are also at risk. In a society where cultural norms often limit interactions between women and male healthcare providers, a reduction in female medical staff could significantly restrict access to care. UNICEF warns this could lead to worsening maternal, newborn, and child health outcomes. Beyond social impacts, the restrictions are also taking an economic toll. Afghanistan is losing an estimated $84 million annually in economic output due to reduced participation of women in education and the workforce. These losses are expected to increase if current policies remain in place. Despite the challenges, UNICEF continues to support education initiatives across the country. In 2025, more than 3.7 million children in public schools received emergency assistance, while 442,000 children two-thirds of them girls benefited from community-based learning programs. The agency has also contributed to the construction or rehabilitation of 232 schools. Russell stressed that denying girls access to education not only limits individual potential but also undermines the country&rsquo;s future. She called on authorities to lift restrictions and urged the international community to remain committed to supporting Afghan girls&rsquo; right to learn. The report concludes that without urgent action, Afghanistan risks long-term damage to its education system, healthcare services, and economic stability consequences that could affect generations to come.

Shehzad Noorani Women wait at a maternal health hospital, the only one of its type in Afghanistan.

Afghanistan

Report warns banning girls’ education in Afghanistan is worsening crisis in healthcare, education, and the economy, with long-term consequences for the country’s future.

Afghanistan risks losing 25,000 women teachers and health workers: UNICEF

ISLAMABAD: Afghan women encounter significant obstacles to legal recourse and are almost four times less likely than men to access formal justice systems, according to a new United Nations report published Sunday. Released on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/cup-of-courage-celebrating-womens-resilience-in-dhaka-streets" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer">International Women&rsquo;s Day</a>, the UN findings on access to Formal Justice Mechanisms detail a growing crisis under Afghanistan&#39;s de facto authorities. The gap leaves women without safe avenues to resolve disputes, hold abusers accountable, or seek protection from violence. Barriers to dispute resolution weaken institutional trust and increase vulnerability for both communities and individuals, according to Georgette Gagnon, officer in charge of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA). Access to justice remains a fundamental right and a cornerstone of safety and dignity, according to UN Women Special Representative Susan Ferguson. &ldquo;Excluding women from justice institutions damages their autonomy and removes rare opportunities to seek outside help, particularly for those facing domestic violence,&rdquo; Ferguson said. Only 14% of consulted women reported access to formal dispute resolution services, according to the data. In contrast, 53% of men reported having access. UN Women, UNAMA, and the International Organization for Migration conducted nationwide in-person and online consultations in December 2025, according to the report. These consultations reached more than 800&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/taliban-government-instituted-systematic-institutionalized-campaign-to-erase-afghan-women-un-experts" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer">Afghan women</a>&nbsp;and 160 men. More than half of the consulted women reported worsening access to formal justice mechanisms over the past year. Women attributed the decline to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/un-calls-on-taliban-to-lift-ban-on-afghan-women-in-its-offices" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer">Afghan Taliban</a>&nbsp;suspending key mechanisms, including the Ministry of Women&rsquo;s Affairs and Afghanistan&rsquo;s Independent Human Rights Commission. The exclusion of female legal professionals and the loss of women-centered services also contributed to this decline, the report observed. Afghanistan&rsquo;s interim government issued &ldquo;decree no. 12&rdquo; on discretionary punishments to courts earlier this year. According to the findings, this decree created additional obstacles for women seeking protection or accountability. Women also have significantly lower access to informal dispute-resolution mechanisms, such as traditional community councils known as jirgas (tribal councils) and shuras (religious councils). This limitation further restricts their ability to mediate disputes. Consultation participants requested actions to strengthen institutional mechanisms that protect access to justice. Participants in the report called for the re-establishment of women-led dispute-resolution systems, including women-only community committees. They also requested support for affordable centers providing confidential legal, psychosocial, and protection assistance. The 2026 global theme for International Women&rsquo;s Day is &quot;Rights, Justice, Action. For all Women and Girls,&quot; according to the UN. This theme demands the dismantling of barriers to equal justice, including discriminatory laws and harmful social norms, according to the report.

Women in Afghanistan are nearly four times less likely than men to have access to formal justice mechanisms. (UNICEF/Osman Khayyam)

A UN report says Afghan women face severe barriers to justice, with only 14% able to access formal mechanisms. Afghan Taliban policies, dismantled institutions, and exclusion from councils worsen protection, leaving women vulnerable to violence.

Articles tagged with "human rights in Afghanistan"

Afghanistan risks losing 25,000 women teachers and health workers: UNICEF

Formal justice eludes Afghan women under Taliban authorities: UN