1. Executive Summary
Since August 2021, Afghanistan has experienced a systematic and sustained deterioration of women’s rights, accompanied by escalating patterns of gender-based violence, enforced exclusion from public life, and the near-total collapse of accountability mechanisms.
In addition to widespread restrictions on education, mobility, and employment, multiple Afghan and international media outlets and human rights documentation platforms have reported a concerning pattern of violent attacks against women, including cases of targeted and suspicious killings in both public and private spaces. Reports by Afghan media such as Rukhshana Media, Amu TV, and other independent documentation initiatives, alongside statements from human rights defenders, have documented incidents involving young women found killed under unclear or contested circumstances in recent years. These cases remain largely uninvestigated or unprosecuted, reinforcing concerns over systemic impunity.
Evidence discussed in expert dialogues indicates that violence against women in Afghanistan is increasingly characterized by a structural pattern of protection failure, where legal safeguards have been weakened or rendered inaccessible, and survivors face extreme barriers to justice, protection, and remedy.
The absence of functioning, independent accountability institutions has created a context of near-total impunity, in which both documented and underreported cases of violence persist without effective investigation or judicial response.
This policy brief synthesizes key findings from expert discussions and proposes actionable recommendations for the European Union, United Nations system, and international stakeholders, with a focus on accountability, evidence preservation, and sustained support for Afghan women-led documentation and protection networks.
Recent reporting by Afghanistan International has also highlighted an alleged case involving the violent killing of two teenage girls in May 2026. According to the outlet’s coverage, the incident is reportedly linked to a former employee of the Afghan republican government who later pledged allegiance to the Taliban. These allegations, as reported by the media outlet, remain unverified by independent judicial investigation; however, they contribute to ongoing concerns regarding the persistence of extreme violence against women and the continued absence of transparent and functioning accountability mechanisms.
