Nearly Eight out of Ten Young Afghan Women Excluded from Education, Jobs, and Training, UN Women Reports
Nearly 80% of young Afghan women are excluded from education, employment, and skills training, a rate nearly four times higher than that of young men, according to the 2024 Afghanistan Gender Index launched by UN Women.
The report highlights a severe and worsening crisis for Afghan women and girls, who face systemic barriers under the Taliban’s rule. Since the Taliban’s return to power, girls have been banned from secondary and university education, and women face strict restrictions on employment and freedom of movement. These policies have effectively shut out millions of young women from opportunities to learn, work, and develop skills essential for their personal and economic empowerment.
UN Women’s Gender Index shows that the exclusion of young women from education and the labor market is unprecedented in Afghanistan’s recent history and signals a dramatic reversal of progress made over the past two decades. The report warns that this exclusion threatens not only the rights and futures of Afghan women but also the country’s social and economic stability.
In addition to education and employment, the report documents the broader erosion of women’s rights, including restrictions on travel without a male guardian, bans on public singing and sports, and violations of women’s dignity and freedom. The Taliban’s policies have led to increased poverty and humanitarian needs, disproportionately affecting women and girls.
UN Women calls for urgent international support to restore Afghan women’s access to education, jobs, and training, emphasizing that empowering women is critical to Afghanistan’s recovery and development. The agency stresses that without reversing these exclusionary policies, Afghanistan risks losing an entire generation of women to marginalization and poverty.
-By Shesight Staff reporter
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