The situation of women and girls in Afghanistan

Pursuant to Economic and Social Council resolution 2002/4 of 24 July 2002, the present report provides an overview of the situation of women and girls in Afghanistan in 2002 and gender-related assistance provided by the United Nations system. Afghanistan’s emergence from 24 years of conflict has led to significant positive changes in women’s lives: women are re-emerging as a political and economic force; they participated in decision-making on the peace process and the reconstruction of their country, they were appointed to serve in Government; women are returning to the workforce and women and girls were able to gain access to education. In spite of this progress, many challenges to women’s full and equal participation in society remain: in many parts of the country women face violence; they are primary victims of insecurity, which limits their access to public life and threatens their lives and dignity; restrictions to the full enjoyment of fundamental freedoms and human rights continue to be applied to women by local leaders.