NEW YORK: The United Nations has stated that women and girls in Afghanistan continue to face severe restrictions under the Taliban regime’s policies, effectively excluding them from public life and social participation.
These measures have significantly limited women’s freedom of movement, access to services, and basic human rights, deepening the ongoing gender crisis in the country, according to the UN.
On Tuesday, March 31, the UN reported that a recent assessment by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights found that schoolgirls and female university students remain barred from accessing education.
The continued ban on girls’ secondary and higher education has raised serious concerns about long-term impacts on literacy, economic development, and gender equality in Afghanistan.
The report further highlighted that women who do not adhere to Taliban-imposed dress codes are frequently denied access to public transportation and essential public services.
These restrictions have created additional barriers for women seeking healthcare, employment, and humanitarian assistance.
In addition, the UN noted that Taliban interim authorities have blocked Afghan women—including UN staff, contractors, and visitors—from entering UN compounds and offices across the country.
This has disrupted humanitarian operations and limited the ability of aid organizations to effectively deliver support to vulnerable communities.
The United Nations emphasised that these ongoing restrictions have had a devastating impact on the daily lives, dignity, and mental well-being of Afghan women and girls.
The organisation warned that Afghanistan’s human rights situation remains critical, calling for urgent international attention, protection of women’s rights, and renewed efforts to ensure access to education, employment, and basic freedoms.
In December 2025, the United Nations called on Afghanistan’s Taliban to lift its ban on Afghan women working in its offices, saying the restriction puts “life-saving services” at risk.
Since the Taliban regained power in 2021, Afghan women have been barred from doing most jobs, visiting parks and beauty salons, and attending school beyond the age of 12.
