A newly published report by the Afghanistan Women’s Rights Watch unveils a harrowing picture of the human rights crisis faced by women and girls in Afghanistan since the Taliban’s return to power on August 15, 2021. Titled “Comprehensive Report on the Violation of the Rights of Women and Girls in Afghanistan (2021–2024),” the report documents severe and widespread restrictions imposed on Afghan women in all areas of life, from education and employment to healthcare, mobility, and freedom of expression.

Key Findings from the Report:

  • Over 2.5 million girls have been denied access to education, including secondary school and university. Women are banned from studying in medical fields such as nursing and midwifery.

  • 94% of employed women have lost their jobs. Female participation in the workforce dropped from 22% to under 10%.

  • Women are prohibited from traveling without a male guardian and are barred from public spaces such as parks, gyms, and even beauty salons.

  • From 2021 to 2024, 650 cases of physical and sexual violence, 487 cases of psychological violence, and 332 femicides have been recorded.

  • Speaking in public or even being heard as a woman has been criminalised in many cases.

Before & After Taliban: A Statistical Collapse
The report includes comparative data from before and after the Taliban takeover, demonstrating a stark regression in women's rights and participation in society. All indicators, from literacy and employment to healthcare access, show a dramatic decline.

Urgent Call for International Action
The report calls on the international community, particularly UN agencies and host countries, to:

  • Place political and economic pressure on the Taliban to reopen schools and universities for girls;

  • Support online and underground education initiatives inside Afghanistan;

  • Provide scholarships and employment opportunities for women in exile;

  • Document rights violations for future accountability.

Resistance in the Face of Repression
Despite brutal repression, Afghan women continue to resist through underground schools, digital activism, and sporadic protests. Movements under the slogan “Bread, Work, Freedom” have been violently suppressed, yet the spirit of resistance endures.


The exclusion of women from education, employment, and public life is not only a grave violation of human rights, it threatens the entire fabric of Afghan society. The report warns that without urgent, coordinated international intervention, Afghanistan risks total social collapse. Sustainable peace, justice, and development are only possible when women are free to live, learn, and lead.

Click here to read the full report.