Afghanistan’s share of women in the labour market has dropped to about 5%, the International Labour Organization (ILO) says, reflecting severe restrictions after the Taliban returned to power around five years ago.
The ILO estimates that women account for roughly 5.1% of workers, down from about 16.5% in 2020. Both outlets report that female labour force participation falls to less than a third of its earlier level, while men’s employment rises over the same period. The ILO also calls for measures to address what it describes as women’s severe exclusion from work.
While the reports rely on the ILO’s figures, they differ mainly in emphasis. One outlet highlights the Taliban’s impact since the takeover and frames the change in terms of shrinking women’s employment share; the other focuses on the same estimated proportion and the comparison with 2019–2020 levels. Both present the decline as a persistent, economy-wide trend rather than a short-term fluctuation.
