UN Report: Afghan Women Face Deepening Rights Crisis

Five years after the Taliban returned to power, Afghan women and girls face a severe and deepening crisis of rights and isolation, with new United Nations reports detailing how restrictions have curtailed their freedom of movement, education, and mental health. The findings, released on August 12, 2026, paint a picture of a population systematically excluded from public life, with consequences that experts warn could be irreversible.

According to a UN Women report, more than half of Afghan women now leave their homes no more than twice a month. The report, based on nationwide surveys conducted in 2025 and 2026, found that 90 percent of women need permission from a male family member before going out, and 75 percent feel unsafe without a male guardian. This isolation is more pronounced in rural areas, where 62 percent of women rarely leave home compared to 42 percent in cities. The restrictions are reinforced by social pressure, with 39 percent of women reporting an increase in such pressure over the past year.

The confinement has coincided with a severe deterioration in mental health. Seven in 10 women described their mental health as bad or very bad, with 59 percent saying it...