ISLAMABAD: Afghan women encounter significant obstacles to legal recourse and are almost four times less likely than men to access formal justice systems, according to a new United Nations report published Sunday.
Released on International Women’s Day, the UN findings on access to Formal Justice Mechanisms detail a growing crisis under Afghanistan's de facto authorities. The gap leaves women without safe avenues to resolve disputes, hold abusers accountable, or seek protection from violence.
Barriers to dispute resolution weaken institutional trust and increase vulnerability for both communities and individuals, according to Georgette Gagnon, officer in charge of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).
Access to justice remains a fundamental right and a cornerstone of safety and dignity, according to UN Women Special Representative Susan Ferguson. “Excluding women from justice institutions damages their autonomy and removes rare opportunities to seek outside help, particularly for those facing domestic violence,” Ferguson said.
Only 14% of consulted women reported access to formal dispute resolution services, according to the data. In contrast, 53% of men reported having access.
UN Women, UNAMA, and the International Organization for Migration conducted nationwide in-person and online consultations in December 2025, according to the report. These consultations reached more than 800 Afghan women and 160 men.
More than half of the consulted women reported worsening access to formal justice mechanisms over the past year. Women attributed the decline to the Afghan Taliban suspending key mechanisms, including the Ministry of Women’s Affairs and Afghanistan’s Independent Human Rights Commission.
The exclusion of female legal professionals and the loss of women-centered services also contributed to this decline, the report observed.
Afghanistan’s interim government issued “decree no. 12” on discretionary punishments to courts earlier this year. According to the findings, this decree created additional obstacles for women seeking protection or accountability.
Women also have significantly lower access to informal dispute-resolution mechanisms, such as traditional community councils known as jirgas (tribal councils) and shuras (religious councils). This limitation further restricts their ability to mediate disputes.
Consultation participants requested actions to strengthen institutional mechanisms that protect access to justice. Participants in the report called for the re-establishment of women-led dispute-resolution systems, including women-only community committees.
They also requested support for affordable centers providing confidential legal, psychosocial, and protection assistance.
The 2026 global theme for International Women’s Day is "Rights, Justice, Action. For all Women and Girls," according to the UN. This theme demands the dismantling of barriers to equal justice, including discriminatory laws and harmful social norms, according to the report.
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