TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The share of women participating in Afghanistan’s labor market has fallen to roughly one in 20 workers in the five years since the Taliban returned to power, according to a report published by the International Labour Organization (ILO) on Tuesday, as reported by DW.
"Afghanistan is estimated to have the second lowest female labor force participation rate worldwide, at only 5.1% in 2026, against the backdrop of severe restrictions in women's access to education and employment," the ILO wrote.
The UN labor agency called for urgent action to address women’s "severe exclusion," saying greater participation was also essential to strengthening the resilience of Afghanistan’s economy.
The Taliban returned to power in August 2021 as the United States and other NATO forces withdrew from Afghanistan, ending two decades in which women had enjoyed relatively greater access to education and economic opportunities following years of hardline Islamist rule.
Afghanistan’s leaders have been marking the fifth anniversary of the Taliban’s return to power this month.
What Did the ILO Say About Women in Afghanistan’s Labor Market?
The ILO warned of "significant demographic and institutional changes" in Afghanistan’s labor market since 2021, many of which have disproportionately disadvantaged women.
Female labor force participation fell from 16.5% in 2020 to 5.1% in 2026, giving Afghanistan the second-lowest rate in the world, ahead of only war-torn Yemen.
Young women classified as "NEETs," meaning they are "not in education, employment or training," accounted for 84% of the cohort, up from 76% in 2020 and 68% in 2019.
Among young men, the NEET rate remained below 30% and has declined from its recent peak during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
One of the few areas of growth has been businesses owned by women, according to the UN Development Programme. The number of such businesses has increased roughly tenfold, although the expansion is largely driven by the scarcity of other employment opportunities.
"Afghanistan cannot build a resilient labor market while such a large share of its population remains excluded from economic activity," said Tite Habiyakare, senior coordinator and head of the ILO office for Afghanistan.
Women continue to work in some entrepreneurial and self-employment ventures, even as their access to other forms of employment becomes increasingly restricted.
Afghanistan’s Economy Remains Under Pressure
The ILO report said Afghanistan’s labor market remained "under considerable pressure" five years after the Taliban takeover, with only a moderate recovery from the economic shock of 2021.
Afghanistan’s GDP contracted by about 15% when the Taliban returned to power, amid the COVID-19 pandemic and the withdrawal of Western troops and financial support. The economy remained in negative territory in 2022 and has only recently returned to modest positive growth, still falling well short of pre-Taliban levels.
Employment has increased in absolute numbers, but not quickly enough to keep pace with population growth, including both domestic population growth and the return of Afghan migrants. As a result, the share of the population in employment has remained largely flat at just under one-third.
The report also called for greater investment in representative labor market data collection. It cautioned that its estimates rely on modeling and "are subject to considerable uncertainty and should be interpreted with appropriate caution."
Migrant Returns Add to Labor Market Pressure
Large-scale returns of Afghan migrants, particularly from Iran and Pakistan, have become "one of the defining labor market challenges facing Afghanistan," according to the report.
More than 6 million Afghans returned from Iran and Pakistan between 2023 and the end of May 2026. The increase was driven "by a combination of policy, economic and security factors."
The report cited World Bank projections suggesting that the influx of returnees could reduce the contribution of remittances to Afghanistan’s economy by half, from around 4% of GDP in 2020 to roughly 2% by 2025.
"Since February 2026, the Middle East crisis has added further uncertainty for Afghans residing in Iran, alongside the continued implementation of returns policies," the ILO said.
The ILO also warned that the conflict involving Iran could create additional risks for Afghanistan through higher inflation, food and fuel prices, trade and transport disruptions, and a possible increase in returns from Iran.
About 70% of Afghan workers, particularly those with lower skill levels, were at least moderately exposed to factors linked to the crisis, including energy prices, while around 30% faced only limited exposure, the report found.
Inflation has also risen sharply over the past year, climbing from below 1% in May 2025 to around 8% in May 2026. The ILO warned that such increases "disproportionately affect poorer households and reduce real earnings, particularly among informal workers."
