Laws and attitudes to women in Afghanistan make their lives incredibly hard. Many frequently suffer violence and sexual abuse and have very limited rights. The withdrawal of US and UK troops will have a significant impact on women.
ActionAid surveyed 1,000 Afghan women to discover their views on peace and security. Here are the results:
86% are worried about a return to Taliban-style government, with one in five citing their daughter’s education as their main concern. This figure rises to 92% in urban areas.
72% of Afghan women believe their lives are better now than they were 10 years ago.
37% think Afghanistan will become a worse place if international troops leave, while 28% think it will become better. Women under 30 are keener to see the troops stay than those over 30.
41% think Afghanistan will be less safe when international troops leave, with 33% saying they think it will be safer. The biggest fear for women under 30 is sexual assault (40% of respondents). Indeed all women are more fearful of sexual assault (30% of respondents) than abduction, kidnapping or being caught in an explosion combined (24%).
39% of the women surveyed never leave their village or neighbourhood.
