The UN Women section has recently warned that four years after the caretaker government’s takeover of Afghanistan, women and girls remain deprived of their fundamental rights, threatening their health, education, and security.
In a statement published on its X account, the organization wrote that nearly 78 percent of girls and young women in Afghanistan are barred from attending school, employment, and vocational training—figures that are four times higher than for boys.
The statement further added that the consequences of these restrictions include rising maternal mortality, high rates of child marriage, a mental health crisis, and increasing poverty among families.
According to the announcement, by 2026, early pregnancies are projected to rise by 45 percent, and maternal deaths will increase by more than 50 percent.
It is noteworthy that restrictions on women’s movement, the ban on medical education, and gender-based obstacles have forced many women to travel long distances even to access clinics, while certain services remain entirely out of reach for them.
The statement also highlighted that in 2023, about 30 percent of girls under the age of 18—including 10 percent under 15—were married, with many families marrying off their daughters due to poverty.
As a result of the current government’s measures, millions of schoolgirls have been denied access to education.
In addition, women have been banned from going to gyms, restaurants, public baths, being examined by male doctors, traveling without a male guardian, and working in national and international NGOs as well as even UN offices in Afghanistan.
