UN Says Women’s Rights Progress in Afghanistan Depends on Ending Restrictions

The United Nations said meaningful improvement in Afghan women’s lives will only be credible when discrimination and restrictions on work and education are lifted.

A UN spokesperson said on Monday that any claim of progress for women in Afghanistan would only be believable if systemic discrimination and widespread restrictions were genuinely reduced.

During a three-day visit to Kabul, UN Deputy Secretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo urged the authorities to lift bans on women’s education and employment and end institutional discrimination.

UN spokesman Stéphane Dujarric declined to describe Kabul’s response, signaling there were no reassuring commitments from the authorities regarding women’s rights protections.

Since returning to power in 2021, the Taliban administration has imposed sweeping restrictions on women, including bans on secondary education, university attendance, and most forms of employment.

International recognition and sanctions relief for Afghanistan’s rulers have repeatedly been tied to measurable improvements in human rights, particularly the treatment of women and girls.

Dujarric told reporters in New York that Afghan women and girls remain restricted in nearly every area of public life, adding that real progress can only be claimed when those barriers are removed.

DiCarlo’s visit concluded on Sunday with a focus on ending work bans and discrimination, while Kabul’s statements highlighted economic achievements and anti-narcotics efforts instead of women’s rights.

The contrasting statements showed no convergence between UN priorities and Kabul’s policies, underscoring continued resistance to addressing fundamental women’s rights issues.

She also met civil society representatives and foreign diplomats in Kabul, but did not hold talks with prominent political figures such as Hamid Karzai or Abdullah Abdullah.

The visit exposed a deep diplomatic gap, with the UN pressing for rights-based reforms while Kabul remains focused on political legitimacy without meaningful policy change for women.

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