New UN findings expose a stark justice gap in Afghanistan, where women are nearly four times less likely than men to reach formal courts or dispute-resolution services amid sweeping restrictions by the de facto authorities.
Women in Afghanistan face a deepening crisis of exclusion from the justice system, with only 14 per cent reporting access to formal dispute-resolution services compared to 53 per cent of men, according to new United Nations findings. The data, drawn from nationwide consultations, paint a picture of systemic barriers that have left many Afghan women without safe avenues to resolve disputes, seek protection from abuse or hold perpetrators accountable.
The report, jointly produced by UN Women, the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and the International Organization for Migration, is based on in-person and online consultations conducted in December 2025 with more than 800 Afghan women and 160 men. More than half the women consulted said their access to formal justice mechanisms had worsened over the past year.
Alarming Gender Disparity in Formal Justice Access
The figures reveal a justice gap of almost four to one. While just 14 per cent of women said they could reach formal institutions, 53 per cent of men reported the same access. This disparity is not abstract: it directly affects women’s ability to assert their rights, protect themselves from violence or challenge unfair treatment within their communities and families.
Georgette Gagnon, Officer in Charge of UNAMA and Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Afghanistan, warned that the consequences extend beyond individual cases. “When large segments of society face barriers to resolving disputes or seeking protection, it weakens trust in institutions and leaves communities and individuals more vulnerable,” she said.
Susan Ferguson, UN Women Special Representative, described access to justice as “a fundamental right and a cornerstone of women’s safety and dignity.” She added: “When women are excluded from justice institutions, it undermines their safety, autonomy and their few remaining opportunities to seek help outside of the home. This is especially important for women experiencing domestic violence.”
Institutional Barriers and the Impact of Recent Decrees
Participants in the consultations largely attributed the worsening situation to decisions by Afghanistan’s de facto authorities. The suspension of key bodies – including the ministry of women’s affairs and the Afghanistan independent human rights commission – has removed critical institutional support. Women professionals have been largely excluded from the legal sector, and many women-centred justice services have disappeared.
The de facto authorities’ Decree No. 12 on discretionary punishments, which was shared with courts for implementation earlier this year, has introduced additional obstacles. Women seeking protection or accountability now face heightened risks when attempting to use the formal system. These measures compound an already restrictive environment that has curtailed women’s and girls’ rights across multiple spheres of public life.
The findings also highlight that access to informal dispute-resolution mechanisms – such as traditional community jirgas and shuras – remains significantly lower for women than for men. These councils of elders often serve as the primary venue for settling local disputes, yet women are frequently sidelined or excluded entirely, further limiting their options.
Women Demand Urgent Reforms
Afghan women and men who took part in the December 2025 consultations were clear about what is needed. They called for the immediate strengthening of institutional mechanisms to safeguard women’s access to justice. Specific recommendations included the re-establishment of women-centred and women-led dispute-resolution services, the creation of women-only committees at the community level, and the provision of confidential counselling along with affordable support centres offering legal aid, psychosocial support and protection services.
The consultations underscore that the crisis is not merely statistical. It reflects lived realities in which women are increasingly isolated within their homes, unable to seek external help when disputes arise or violence occurs. The perception-based nature of the data reflects respondents’ direct experiences rather than independent legal verification, yet the consistency of the findings across a broad sample signals a systemic failure that demands attention.
The release of the findings explicitly urges the dismantling of discriminatory laws, weak legal protections and harmful social norms that erode women’s rights. The UN report serves as a sobering reminder that, in Afghanistan, these barriers have grown taller in recent months.
Without swift and meaningful steps to restore women’s access to both formal and informal justice, the vulnerability of Afghan women and girls will only deepen. The de facto authorities’ policies have already stripped away many of the limited gains made over the past two decades. The UN findings now add urgent evidence that the justice system itself has become another front in the struggle for women’s basic rights.
As Gagnon and Ferguson emphasised, restoring safe pathways to justice is not optional; it is essential for rebuilding trust, protecting the most vulnerable and ensuring that communities can function with even a baseline of fairness and security.
