Women's share of Afghan labour market shrinks to 5% under Taliban, UN says

By Emma Farge GENEVA, Aug 18 (Reuters) - The portion of women in Afghanistan's workforce has fallen to just 5% since the Taliban takeover five years ago, according to the International Labour Organization, which called for measures to address their "severe exclusion". • Female labour force participation fell to less than a third of its previous level, to 5.1% in 2026 from 16.5% in 2020. • In contrast, male employment has expanded rapidly, the ILO said.