The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), in collaboration with the organization’s Women’s Division and the International Organization for Migration, has released a joint report on the status of women in Afghanistan.
This report is based on interviews and consultations with 592 women across 22 provinces in the early months of 2023. It reveals that 69% of women in this study suffer from isolation, depression, and humiliation. These interviews were conducted online and in person from April to June 2023.
Participants in this research emphasized the importance of women’s rights and gender equality concerning economic growth and humanitarian aid.
These women liken their lives to prison and have stated that their decision-making power within their families has significantly diminished. According to the report, 80% of women have lost their income-generating capabilities.
Almost all interviewed women have expressed that the Taliban administration should not be recognized under any circumstances by the global community.
This contrasts with the more than 50 restrictive decrees on women’s rights issued by the Taliban regime after its return to power. 62% of women stated that the interim government’s policies have been increasingly oppressive.
Access to education has been a top priority for these women. The reports from these three organizations indicate a sharp rise in domestic violence, forced marriages, and underage marriages.
These women have called for result-oriented humanitarian aid and asked UN agencies to find alternative methods. The report states that women have systematically been excluded from public spaces, such as travel, parks, sports facilities, workplaces, and schools, over the past two years. 77% of respondents have mentioned that their relatives provide them with financial support.
These women have appealed to the global community to continue political sanctions on the Taliban government in Afghanistan and compel them to be accountable for their actions.
It is worth noting that women in Afghanistan, following the resurgence of the Taliban to power, have faced increasing restrictions and limitations, with more than 50 restrictive decrees affecting their lives. This is despite the interim government officials asserting that women’s rights are preserved within the framework of Islamic Sharia or laws.
