OAHS

Complications during pregnancy and childbirth, along with unsafe abortions, contribute to the leading cause of death among girls aged 15-19 and 20-24, accounting for 64 percent and 69.9 percent of deaths in those age groups, respectively. The predicted increase in child marriage during the current crisis period further jeopardizes the health and survival of teenage girls and their newborns. Mental health outcomes in Afghanistan are also low due to various factors such as exposure to conflict, social trauma, displacement, economic stressors, and a lack of adequate support services. A study by the World Health Organization estimated that over two million Afghans suffer from mental health problems, including stress conditions, primarily resulting from the extended conflict. Moreover, refugees and those living in conflict-affected areas face even higher mental health stressors. Shockingly, approximately 77 percent of children needing mental health services are unable to access them, and the numbers are even more dire for adult and child undocumented refugees, with only six percent and three percent, respectively, able to access mental health services. The closure of schools due to the crisis has also had an impact on the mental health of adolescent girls. However, mental health services are limited in Afghanistan, and cultural biases also create barriers to accessing mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) for the population.

Protection:

The OAHS’s protection efforts focus on addressing gender-based violence (GBV) and ensuring child protection. GBV remains widespread in Afghanistan, and although there is limited data on prevalence, a health survey conducted by the World Bank in 2015 found that 56 percent of married women reported experiencing violence. Instances of intimate partner violence, child and early forced marriage, killings, sexual abuse, and trafficking of young boys are frequent but often underreported. Women and girls with disabilities are disproportionately affected by GBV, experiencing domestic violence at twice the rate of other women and facing unique forms of violence. The ongoing crisis has had severe consequences for girls and boys. Surveys have documented an increase in child marriages due to economic crises and humanitarian needs, with six percent of households reporting marriages of girls at an earlier age than expected. Child labor has also seen a dramatic upsurge in 2021, corresponding to increased poverty levels and economic insecurity.

FSAC:

The OAHS aims to strengthen the coordination of emergency food security response planning, implementation, and monitoring by enhancing the role of the Food Security and Agriculture Cluster (FSAC). Food security in Afghanistan is deeply gendered, with Afghan women disproportionately affected by food insecurity and more likely to skip meals. Women-headed households are particularly struggling, with nearly 100 percent of them facing insufficient food consumption, and 82 percent resorting to extreme measures to cope with food shortage, compared to 70 percent of male-headed households.

Women Empowerment:

Women’s empowerment plays a critical role in achieving sustainable development and social progress. By empowering women, their potential is unlocked, their rights are enhanced, and they can actively participate in decision-making processes at all levels. The benefits of women’s empowerment include economic development, gender equality, improved health and well-being, increased social participation, and enhanced peace and security in communities. Strategies for women’s empowerment include enhancing access to quality education, providing vocational training and skill development programs, creating economic opportunities through entrepreneurship training and access to credit, advocating for gender-responsive laws and policies, implementing comprehensive programs to prevent and respond to gender-based violence, promoting social and cultural change by challenging harmful gender norms and stereotypes and engaging communities and religious leaders in promoting women’s rights and empowerment.

Livelihood:

In Afghanistan, poverty rates were already high, with an estimated 47.3 percent of the population living in poverty in 2020. Since the new regime takeover, the situation has significantly deteriorated. Women, in particular, are disproportionately affected by the current economic crisis due to their low participation in the labor market. This economic insecurity hampers their ability to navigate and recover from shocks. Barriers such as low literacy rates, low levels of education completion, disapproval within the community of women working outside the home, and restrictions imposed by the DFA further hinder women’s participation in the formal labor market.

Education:

Access to education in Afghanistan, especially for girls, has been significantly impacted. In 2021, approximately four million children were out of school, with girls accounting for 60 percent of that number. While attendance rates for both girls and boys have decreased at all school levels and types due to the COVID-19 pandemic, girls’ attendance has declined at a rate three times higher than that of boys at both secondary and university levels since the DFA takeover