UN Women Report: Women and Girls Bear Brunt of Taliban-Pakistan Border Clashes

A UN Women "Gender Alert" report by the Afghanistan Gender Operational Coordination Group states that women and girls in eastern Afghanistan, comprising more than half of the approximately 90,000 people affected, have suffered the most from escalated border conflicts with Pakistan since February.

The clashes, involving airstrikes, artillery shelling, drone attacks and ground battles, have impacted at least 10 provinces along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. Nearly one-tenth of the affected families are headed by women, the report says.

The violence has intensified existing Taliban restrictions on women's movement, employment and public life. These barriers have compounded challenges including displacement, destruction of homes and loss of income, making it harder for women and girls to access aid and support.

The report highlights how the conflicts have worsened humanitarian conditions for women, who already face severe limitations under Taliban policies.