Gender alert I: Women’s rights in Afghanistan: Where are we now?

In the first “gender alert” since the Taliban took over Kabul on 15 August 2021, UN Women brings data and analyses on the impact of the changing dynamics and the humanitarian crisis on the rights of Afghan women and girls.

The brief shows gender trends across different sectors, such as, work, education, health care, protection, freedom of movement, and participation in public and political life. Overall, the “gender alert” finds a concerning and rapid shift to normalizing discriminatory gender norms and curtailment of Afghan women and girls’ fundamental rights and freedoms.

The purpose of this “gender alert” is to:

• Outline the impact of the change in context since 15 August 2021 on women and girls;
• Highlight current gender equality issues in Afghanistan to inform and facilitate policy and programmatic priorities; and
• Inform advocacy efforts with the international community and partners aimed at improving the rights of women.