{
  "id": 759086,
  "title": "Half of Afghan women rarely leave home as Taliban restrictions deepen, UN agency says",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/13/half-of-afghan-women-rarely-leave-home-as-taliban-restrictions-deepen",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-13T11:20:52.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Daily Maverick",
    "slug": "daily-maverick",
    "url": "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-08-13-half-of-afghan-women-rarely-leave-home-as-taliban-restrictions-deepen-un-agency-says/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Half of Afghan women now rarely leave their homes, with only one or two outings per month, as the Taliban's restrictions tighten their freedom and participation in public life, according to a recent UN Women report. As the Taliban mark the fifth anniversary of their return to power, Afghanistan remains the sole country banning girls from secondary education and women from university, U.N. Women highlighted. Since their August 2021 takeover, the Taliban have systematically eroded half the population's rights, making Afghanistan a global outlier with no modern equivalent, the agency reported.\n\nSaif-ul-Islam Khyber, a spokesperson for the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, insisted the reports of women's reluctance to leave homes were unfounded and that women in Afghanistan enjoy all rights. He claimed that citizens now experience safety and security, despite the situation of women's rights moving positively. The Taliban have barred approximately 2.4 million Afghan girls from secondary education since regaining power, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization reported.\n\nU.N. Women found that over half of surveyed women leave home twice a month or less, and nearly three-quarters feel unsafe outside without a male guardian, called a mahram. The restrictions have worsened mental health issues, with seven in ten women describing their mental health as bad or very bad, citing isolation, lost opportunities, and limited support networks. Recent decrees have also weakened women's legal protections, abolishing legal equality between men and women, strengthening men's authority within marriage, and making divorce more challenging, U.N. Women warned. Only 7% of women are employed compared to 84% of men, according to the agency's report. The data for the report was collected from door-to-door surveys of 2,190 people and telephone surveys of 2,811 people conducted in February to March 2025 and April to May 2026, respectively.",
  "summary": "Half of Afghan women now leave their homes only once or twice a month as Taliban-imposed restrictions curtail their freedom of movement and participation in public life, according to data released by U.N. Women on Wednesday.",
  "key_points": [
    "Half of Afghan women rarely leave homes, limited to one or two outings per month",
    "Taliban restrictions severely limit women's freedom and participation in public life",
    "U.N. Women report highlights mental health issues and legal protections weakening"
  ],
  "editors_take": "The Taliban's tightening of restrictions has entrenched a stark disparity in Afghan women's freedom and participation in public life, exacerbating their isolation, mental health issues, and economic dependence on men.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}