Women’s Labour Force Participation In Afghanistan Falls To 5 Percent, Says ILO

The organisation warned that the exclusion of women from economic activity has brought profound structural changes to Afghanistan’s labour market.

In a report released on Tuesday, 18 August, the ILO said Afghanistan’s labour market had undergone significant changes because of gender inequalities since the Taliban returned to power. It said women’s employment had declined “dramatically” under Taliban rule.

The report said Afghanistan’s labour market had become heavily reliant on male employment.

According to the report, women’s labour force participation stood at 18.3 percent in 2019 under the former government.

The ILO said women’s labour force participation fell sharply in 2022, dropping to less than one-third of its 2020 level. According to the organisation’s estimates, Afghanistan has the second-lowest female labour force participation rate in the world, reflecting what it described as the “exceptional scale of women’s exclusion” from economic activity.

By contrast, male employment in 2026 is estimated to be about 22 percent higher than its 2020 level. The organisation noted that amid broader pressures on employment, women were increasingly being excluded from Afghanistan’s labour market.

According to the report, employment growth has failed to keep pace with population growth. The overall employment-to-population ratio is estimated at 32.5 percent, more than four percentage points below its 2020 level.

Ramin Behzad, head of the ILO office in Afghanistan, said: “Afghanistan cannot build a resilient labour market while excluding a large part of its population [women] from economic activity.”

He stressed that expanding women’s access to productive employment and creating job opportunities for returnees, young people and other vulnerable workers were essential to strengthening livelihoods and supporting inclusive economic development.

The ILO called on the Taliban administration to place productive employment at the centre of its policies and priorities. It also stressed the need to support private-sector development, labour-intensive sectors and small businesses.

The organisation warned that the exclusion of women from economic activity has brought profound structural changes to Afghanistan’s labour market.

The report said Afghanistan’s labour market had become heavily reliant on male employment.

According to the report, women’s labour force participation stood at 18.3 percent in 2019 under the former government.

Ramin Behzad, head of the ILO office in Afghanistan, said: “Afghanistan cannot build a resilient labour market while excluding a large part of its population [women] from economic activity.”

Rights Group Calls For Full Inquiry Into Afghan’s Death In ICE Custody

Jul 14, 2026, 10:42 GMT+1

Human Rights Watch has called for transparency and accountability over the death of Afghan asylum seeker Mohammad Nazeer Paktiawal in US immigration detention, urging authorities to release his full autopsy report.

Alyssa Kellman of Human Rights Watch said the death of Paktiawal highlighted the need for transparency and accountability in US immigration detention facilities.

Paktiawal, a 41-year-old Afghan asylum seeker who served alongside US forces in Afghanistan for about a decade, died on March 14, less than 24 hours after being detained in Texas. US authorities said he died following what they described as an allergic reaction.

His death certificate was released 103 days after his death.

Kellman said US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) described Paktiawal as a “criminal illegal alien” when announcing his death, despite the fact that he had no criminal convictions and had been granted humanitarian parole because of his years of service alongside the US military.

His asylum application was under review, but the US government suspended the processing of Afghan asylum claims in November last year.

Paktiawal was detained on March 13 while taking his children to school. His family told the organisation AfghanEvac that he suffered from a respiratory condition requiring an inhaler and that his wife had tried to provide it to him.

US immigration authorities said Paktiawal complained of shortness of breath and chest pain after his arrest, was taken to hospital and died the following day.

Kellman said his death was part of a growing number of deaths in ICE detention facilities.

She added that calls for greater transparency over deaths in immigration detention had increased since the current US administration took office.

Although Paktiawal’s death certificate listed the cause of death as an accident, Coleman said the finding raised further questions about the circumstances surrounding his death.

Human Rights Watch said the US government had declined to release further details despite requests from Paktiawal’s family, refugee advocacy groups and several members of Congress.

Local authorities have also withheld the full autopsy report, saying its release could affect an ongoing federal criminal investigation.

Human Rights Watch said transparency and accountability required a full investigation and the publication of information related to the case, arguing that releasing Paktiawal’s complete autopsy report would be an important first step.

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