UN urges support for Afghan women amid tightening Taliban curbs

Chicago – August 15, 2026

The United Nations has urged international donors to maintain and increase funding for programs supporting Afghan women, warning that cuts could deepen what it describes as the world’s most severe women’s rights crisis.

Susan Ferguson, UN Women’s special representative in Afghanistan, said conditions for women have continued to deteriorate nearly five years after the Taliban returned to power. The Taliban has introduced more than 100 decrees restricting women’s rights, affecting education, employment, freedom of movement, healthcare and access to justice.

Girls remain barred from secondary schools and universities. UNESCO estimates that about 2.4 million Afghan girls have been excluded from secondary education since 2021.

Funding shortages are adding to the crisis. More than half of 74 women’s organizations surveyed by UN Women could be forced to suspend operations or close within a year. The UN’s $1.7 billion humanitarian appeal for Afghanistan is currently only 25% funded.

The UN is calling on governments and donors to deepen their support rather than retreat as restrictions on Afghan women intensify.