According to a report by the UN women’s organization UN Women, nearly five years after the Taliban seized power, Afghan women rarely leave their homes. The document shows how extensive the restrictions on the rights of girls and women in Afghanistan have become since the Islamists came to power.
According to the study, 52 percent of the women surveyed leave their homes only twice a month or less. At the same time, 90 percent of the women stated that they need to obtain permission from their husband or another male family member before leaving the house.
For comparison, 96 percent of the men surveyed leave their homes every day, the organization writes in its current publication. According to UN Women, more than 2,000 people representing the population were surveyed in two rounds of surveys across the country. The results vary depending on whether the respondents live in rural or urban areas.
Extensive restrictions on access to education
Since the Taliban seized power on August 15, 2021, girls and women in Afghanistan have not been able to attend secondary schools and universities. They are also being pushed out of certain areas of working life.
65 percent of the women surveyed for UN Women said that their lives had worsened more than they expected after the Taliban came to power. Among the main reasons for the deterioration of their prospects, they cite, in particular, significant restrictions on access to education for themselves and their children.
Seven out of ten women stated that their mental health had deteriorated over the past year, and they feel mentally bad or very bad. In additional interviews conducted by UN Women, women also linked psychological problems to the introduction of restrictions.
Many of the mothers surveyed said they see arranged marriage as an alternative to education for their daughters, since “otherwise nothing realistic remains”. Daughters, on the other hand, more often perceive education as a dead end. One of them explained it this way: “My mother studied, but it didn’t lead her anywhere.”
Hope and humanitarian crisis
Despite this, the women surveyed have not completely lost hope. When asked about the most important life goals, most mentioned equality, their own income, and their own housing. 68 percent of women still hope that they will be able to achieve these goals someday.
At the same time, Afghanistan is experiencing a large-scale humanitarian crisis, which complements the restrictions on women’s rights. According to the World Food Programme, in the first quarter of this year, 47 percent of minors suffered from malnutrition.
The situation is complicated by insufficiently funded international aid programs, crop failures due to drought, and nearly 5.9 million people who have returned to the country since September 2023.
Source: Der Spiegel
