The fall of Afghanistan to Taliban rule in August 2021 continues to impact the rights and freedoms of Afghan women and girls. Limitations on their freedom of movement and access to secondary education, livelihoods and work have worsened in the past few months, as the erosion of freedom has extended further into the suspension of university education for women and the ban on female staff working with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and UN agencies. This continues to have significant consequences on women’s livelihoods and constrains the delivery of protection and humanitarian assistance for women and girls in most parts of the country. 

This factsheet highlights the specific challenges faced by displaced Afghan women, including prolonged displacement, difficulties in accessing livelihoods, and coping with insufficient income by reducing food intake. It is the third in a series that examines the changing situation in Afghanistan. It was produced by the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).