Since 2021, Afghan women have been systematically excluded from public and economic life. 78% of young Afghan women are not in education, employment, or training, nearly four times the rate of Afghan men, and only 24% of women participate in the labor force, compared to 89% of men. (UN Women, 2025)
The consequences extend beyond individual lives: UNDP estimates that restricting women's work costs Afghanistan up to $1 billion annually, roughly 5% of GDP.
