Afghan women's workforce participation plummets to 5% under Taliban rule

GENEVA — The International Labour Organization (ILO) has documented a severe contraction in women's participation in Afghanistan's workforce, with female workers now representing only 5% of the labour market since the Taliban's takeover in 2021.

The figures underscore the sweeping restrictions imposed on Afghan women across employment, education and public life under the Taliban administration. The ILO has called for urgent action to address what it characterises as the "severe exclusion" of women from economic participation, warning of long-term consequences for the country's development and stability.

The collapse in women's workforce engagement reflects a combination of Taliban restrictions on female employment and mobility, alongside economic deterioration that has reduced overall job availability. Afghan women, who had gradually increased their presence in the labour market during the previous two decades, now face systematic barriers to earning livelihoods.

International organisations have repeatedly raised concerns about the Taliban's policies affecting women, citing bans on female education beyond secondary school and restrictions on employment in most sectors. The ILO's assessment adds economic data to a broader pattern of documented constraints on women's rights and freedoms in Afghanistan.