Afghanistan's crisis deepens hidden violence against women

The severe humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan , where nearly half of the population requires assistance, has pushed many families into survival mode. Hunger, joblessness and collapsing services have tightened dependence within Afghan households. At the same time, wide-ranging restrictions imposed by the Taliban rulers since their return to power in 2021 have narrowed women's options in public life, limiting access to work, education and mobility.

Together, these pressures make violence against women in the private sphere harder to escape, more difficult to report and easier to conceal. Women's rights advocates and local journalists describe a pattern: Economic desperation drives forced and early marriages, increases women's dependence on husbands or in-laws, and makes domestic abuse less visible. When protection mechanisms fail — or when families see no viable path through the courts — violence can escalate to lethal outcomes. Since seizing power, the Taliban have rolled back progress achieved in the previous two decades when it came to women's rights Image: SHAH MARAI/AFP via Getty Images A case from Afghanistan's western Ghor province shows how these dynamics can converge. Farzana was 18 when she died in Ghor's Pasaband district. A local source told DW she was attacked inside the home. A doctor said forensic examinations showed clear traces of beatings and torture, indicating she had been murdered. Farzana had been married off to a man in his 50s, who already had two wives. Amir Mohammadi (name changed), a local government employee, told DW that two of the man's sons were accused of involvement in her killing. Mohammadi said he approached Farzana's relatives, who refused to cooperate, saying they were a poor family and the murderer suspects were rich people. For him, the social imbalance matters as much as the crime itself. "Many girls like Farzana are victims of poverty, forced marriage and child marriage," he told DW, adding that families often marry daughters to older men with money in the hope of stability, but the outcome can be chronic abuse behind closed doors.

Key points

• Together, these pressures make violence against women in the private sphere harder to escape, more difficult to report and easier to conceal.
• Women's rights advocates and local journalists describe a pattern: Economic desperation drives forced and early marriages, increases women's dependence on husbands or in-laws, and makes domestic ab…
• When protection mechanisms fail — or when families see no viable path through the courts — violence can escalate to lethal outcomes.
• Since seizing power, the Taliban have rolled back progress achieved in the previous two decades when it came to women's rights Image: SHAH MARAI/AFP via Getty Images A case from Afghanistan's weste…
• Farzana was 18 when she died in Ghor's Pasaband district.