Half of Women Rarely Leave Home as Restrictions Deepen in Afghanistan, UN Says

Photo: UN Women/Sayed Habib Bidell. Afghan women face growing restrictions on movement, education and public life, with many reporting worsening mental health and limited control over their future, five years after the Taliban returned to power, according to a new UN Women report. The report, “Five Years On: Afghan Women’s Futures at a Crossroads,” is based mainly on a nationwide survey of 2,811 people conducted in April and May 2026, including 2,210 women. The report found that 52% of women leave their homes no more than twice a month, compared with 96% of men who leave home daily. The isolation is greater in rural areas, where 62% of women said they rarely leave home. Nine in 10 women said they need permission from a male family member to leave home, while 75% said they do not feel safe going outside without a male relative. The restrictions are also affecting access to essential services. More than half of women said they avoid public places such as markets and health facilities, while 66% said they restrict what they say in public. UN Women found that seven in 10 women described their mental health as poor or very poor, while 59% said it had recently worsened. The deterioration was more pronounced among women who rarely leave home, suggesting a strong link between isolation and declining mental wellbeing. Education remains another major concern. Seventy-six percent of women said their access to education has declined since the Taliban takeover, while 56% said it had worsened further over the past year. Despite the restrictions, education and equal rights remain major priorities. About 40% of women identified equal rights for women and girls as one of their main priorities, while many said they would return to education, work and business if restrictions were lifted. The report also found a significant gap between women’s views and those they attribute to Taliban authorities. Ninety-one percent of women said officials do not share their values on girls’ education or women’s economic opportunities. UN Women warned that the consequences could extend beyond current restrictions. Each additional year without education and employment means lost skills, experience and professional networks, while a younger generation of girls is growing up with fewer opportunities to imagine a future in education, employment and public life. The report concludes that Afghan women’s aspirations remain strong, but the longer restrictions continue, the greater the risk that exclusion will become entrenched across generations. The post Half of Women Rarely Leave Home as Restrictions Deepen in Afghanistan, UN Says appeared first on Khaama Press.