Afghan women nearly four times less likely to access justice: UN report

KABUL (Pajhwok): The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has said that new findings by the United Nations (UN) indicate Afghan women are nearly four times less likely than men to have access to formal justice mechanisms.

Marking International Women’s Day (IWD) today, 8 March, UNAMA in a statement said the new findings highlight a widening justice gap that is leaving many women without safe avenues to assert their rights, seek protection, or challenge abuse.

UN Women Special Representative, Susan Ferguson, said access to justice is a fundamental right and a cornerstone of women’s safety and dignity.

According to the findings, only 14 percent of women consulted reported having access to formal dispute-resolution services, compared to 53 percent of men.

UNAMA added that reliance on informal dispute-resolution mechanisms — such as local jirgas and community councils traditionally dominated by male elders — has further restricted women’s ability to pursue justice and protect their rights.

The global theme for International Women’s Day 2026 — ‘Rights, Justice, Action. For All Women and Girls’ — calls for action to dismantle all barriers to equal justice, including discriminatory laws, weak legal protections, and harmful practices and social norms that undermine the rights of women and girls.

The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) has not yet commented on the report, but officials have previously stated that women’s rights are ensured in accordance with the framework of Islamic Sharia.

hz/sa