UN: Taliban policies have pushed Afghan women to premature death and poverty.
Four years after the Taliban took power, the UN has warned that Afghan women are facing a decline in life expectancy, widespread deprivation from education and work, and an unprecedented health crisis.
According to the report, the Taliban have issued nearly 100 anti-women decrees that have had “devastating” consequences for the lives of women and girls.
More than 78 percent of Afghan women are now neither employed nor in education, and obtaining a degree has become virtually impossible for them. This deprivation has removed half of the potential workforce from Afghanistan’s devastated economy.
The UN also predicts that maternal mortality will increase by 50 percent by 2026, as the Taliban deny women access to health services and medical education.
The report also reveals a rise in child marriage and domestic violence, and says that some Taliban officials are personally involved in forced marriages. 62% of women do not have a role in decision-making, even at home.
The head of the UN Women office in Afghanistan emphasizes that the systematic suppression of women is an issue beyond the borders of Afghanistan; because the continuation of this trend sends a message to the world that the rights of women and girls can be violated and ignored anywhere.
