More than half of Afghan women surveyed by the United Nations now leave their homes no more than once or twice a month, as restrictions imposed by the Taliban continue to limit women’s freedom of movement and participation in public life.
According to a report released by UN Women, nearly three-quarters of women surveyed said they felt unsafe leaving home without a male guardian, known as a mahram.
Afghanistan remains the only country in the world where girls are banned from secondary education and women are prohibited from attending universities. The United Nations says the Taliban have issued more than 100 decrees targeting women and girls since returning to power in 2021.
UN Women described the situation as one of the world’s most severe women’s rights crises, saying the restrictions have increasingly affected women’s access to education, employment, legal protection and public life.
The restrictions have also contributed to a worsening mental health situation. About seven in 10 women surveyed described their mental health as “bad” or “very bad,” citing isolation, lost opportunities and limited access to support networks.
Women also remain largely excluded from Afghanistan’s economy. According to the UN Women report, only 7% of women are employed, compared with 84% of men.
The report said recent measures had further weakened women’s legal protections by removing legal equality between men and women, strengthening men’s authority within marriage and making it more difficult for women to obtain a divorce.
The Taliban maintain that they respect women’s rights according to their interpretation of Islamic law and Afghan culture.
The findings were based on a door-to-door survey of 2,190 people conducted between February and March 2025, as well as telephone surveys involving 2,811 people conducted between April and May 2026.
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