Afghanistan: Afghanistan’s Women Are Still Fighting: Inside the Fight for Rights Under Taliban

Jun 27, 2025 | UN Women
UN Women
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Just four years ago, a woman in Afghanistan could technically decide to run for President, attend university, or play sports.

Today, none of that is possible. Even before the Taliban took power in August 2021, Afghanistan ranked among the lowest countries in the world for gender equality. But there had been hard-won gains. Now, under the Taliban’s de facto rule, those gains have been erased and Afghanistan has become the world’s most severe women’s rights crisis. 

Yet the fierce determination and resistance of Afghan women continues to burn – and inspire. Despite near-total restrictions on their lives, they still find ways to run businesses and work on the front lines as humanitarian workers, journalists and community leaders.