ILO: Afghanistan Has Second-Lowest Female Labour Participation Rate

August 20, 2026 Current News Articles

Ebadullah Ebadi

Journalist (Web Editor)

Tolo News

18 AUGUST 2026

According to the ILO report, employment reached around 8.5 million in 2026, an increase of about 14% compared with 2022.

The International Labour Organization (ILO) says that five years after the Islamic Emirate’s takeover of Afghanistan, the gender disparities in the country’s labour market has widened, with women largely excluded from economic activity.

According to the ILO report, employment reached around 8.5 million in 2026, an increase of about 14% compared with 2022. However, employment growth has not kept pace with population growth.

The organization said employment growth has been concentrated entirely among men, with male employment increasing by around 22% compared with 2020. In contrast, female employment has declined sharply, and Afghanistan now has the second-lowest female labour force participation rate in the world.

The report states: “Overall employment is estimated to have increased by 14 per cent from its 2022 low, reaching nearly 8.5 million in 2026. However, employment growth has not kept pace with the expanding population. The employment-to-population ratio is estimated at 32.5 per cent, more than four percentage points below its 2020 level.”

The report also says that the large-scale return of Afghans from Iran and Pakistan has placed additional pressure on the labour market and livelihood opportunities.

According to the organization, more than 70% of Afghanistan’s workers are employed in sectors assessed as having at least medium exposure to rising energy costs and inflationary pressures resulting from the Middle East crisis.

“Afghanistan cannot build a resilient labour market while such a large share of its population remains excluded from economic activity,” said Tite Habiyakare, Senior Coordinator and Head of the ILO Office for Afghanistan. “Expanding women’s access to productive employment, while creating opportunities for returnees, young people and other vulnerable workers, is essential for strengthening livelihoods and supporting more inclusive economic development.”

The ILO emphasized that expanding employment opportunities for women, young people, returnees and other vulnerable groups is essential for inclusive economic development in Afghanistan.

Third Anglo-Afghan War: How Did Afghanistan Gain Independence?

August 20, 2026 Current News Articles

TOLOnews

TV Network

19 August 2026

The military forces of British India were mobilized, and Jalalabad and Kabul were subsequently bombed.

On 12 Saur 1298, a decisive battle against Britain began from the provinces of Nangarhar, Paktia and Kandahar. Although the king’s soldiers at the time had limited military equipment, their desire for freedom and the people’s determination to break free from British influence gave them a force greater than weapons.

The Afghan army had only 50,000 soldiers and counted on the support of 80,000 irregular tribal fighters in the border areas between Afghanistan and British India.

Khalil Ahmad Nadem, a political analyst, said: “The people of Afghanistan are both Muslims and patriots. With the resources available to them and their motivation for freedom, they stood against the foreigners.”

World War I had ended, and King Amanullah, relying on the will of the people, set out to secure Afghanistan’s freedom. Three days after the fighting began, on 15 Saur, Britain also declared war on Afghanistan.

The military forces of British India were mobilized, and Jalalabad and Kabul were subsequently bombed.

The war between Afghanistan and Britain lasted nearly a month. Also known as the War of Independence, it was the last major battle between Afghanistan and Britain at the time—a conflict that ultimately moved to the diplomatic table.

On 12 Jawza 1298, a ceasefire was proposed, and an Afghan delegation led by Ali Ahmad Khan and a British delegation represented by Hamilton Grant entered negotiations in Rawalpindi.

After weeks of negotiations, the Treaty of Rawalpindi was signed on 17 Asad 1298, marking an important step toward Afghanistan’s independence.

Sayed Ebadullah Sadiq, a political analyst, said: “The British objective, first, was to occupy Afghanistan. Their second objective was to use Afghanistan’s resources and benefit from the country’s geopolitical position.”

But this was not the end of the process. On 1 Qaws 1300, another agreement was signed between Afghanistan and Britain in Kabul, consolidating Afghanistan’s internal and external independence and strengthening its position as an independent country in international relations. Britain also recognized Afghanistan’s independence.

Nearly 1,000 Afghan soldiers and 236 British soldiers were killed in the war, while thousands of soldiers on both sides were wounded.

Afghanistan-India Ties Enter New Phase Amid Growing Diplomatic Engagement

August 20, 2026 Current News Articles

TOLOnews

TV Network

19 August 2026

Jaiswal says relations between New Delhi and Kabul have a long history and that engagement between the two sides, particularly over the past year, has increased.

Relations between Afghanistan and India have entered a new phase over the past year, with increased exchanges of officials between the two countries and expanding diplomatic engagement.

Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for India’s Ministry of External Affairs, says relations between New Delhi and Kabul have a long history and that engagement between the two sides, particularly over the past year, has increased.

Jaiswal told a news conference that during this period, a number of Islamic Emirate officials have traveled to India, while New Delhi has also continued its engagement with Kabul.

Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for India’s Ministry of External Affairs, said: “As you know, India and Afghanistan have very longstanding ties. Over the past few months, particularly in the last year, we have witnessed rapid growth and expansion in these relations. We have seen several delegations from Afghan ministries visit India. At the same time, they have also assisted us through development cooperation initiatives.”

According to the spokesperson for India’s Ministry of External Affairs, India upgraded its technical mission in Kabul to an embassy in Mizan 1404, and the head of the mission was appointed as chargé d’affaires.

He emphasized that India’s engagement with the Islamic Emirate is focused on humanitarian assistance and development cooperation with Afghanistan.

Momin Khan Saadat, a political analyst, said: “It is a need of the time for relations between Afghanistan and India to expand and develop, whether in the health, economic, political or development sectors.”

Relations between the two countries improved following the visit of Amir Khan Muttaqi, foreign minister of the Islamic Emirate, to New Delhi and his meetings with Indian officials. Since then, officials and ministers from various ministries, including the ministries of Industry and Commerce, Public Health, and Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock, have traveled to India.

Islamic Emirate’s Diplomatic Ties Extend to 103 Countries and Organizations

August 20, 2026 Current News Articles

TOLOnews

TV Network

20 Aug 2026

Meanwhile, Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesman for the Islamic Emirate, said Afghanistan has good and significant relations with Islamic, Arab, and regional countries.

Findings from a new study by the Washington Institute for Near East Policy show that the Islamic Emirate had a total of 3,651 diplomatic engagements with 103 countries and international organizations from 24 Asad 1400 to 24 Asad 1405.

According to the study, Kabul expanded its ties and contacts with neighboring countries and several regional powers during this period, with Iran, China, Türkiye, Qatar, Uzbekistan, and India among the Islamic Emirate’s most important diplomatic partners.

Hanif Khan Karokhel, a political analyst, said: “This is what matters to us because Afghanistan needs its neighboring countries, and they need Afghanistan. Therefore, without a doubt, relations with countries in the region are very important.”

Meanwhile, Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesman for the Islamic Emirate, said Afghanistan has good and significant relations with Islamic, Arab, and regional countries.

He added that Kabul also sees no obstacle to expanding diplomatic relations with Western countries and those that were previously involved in the war in Afghanistan.

Mujahid called on Western countries to change their policies toward Afghanistan.

Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesman for the Islamic Emirate, added: “Afghanistan has good relations with countries, particularly Islamic, Arab, and regional countries, and these ties are tangible. We also have no obstacle to establishing diplomatic relations with other countries. We want good relations with Western countries and those that were once involved in the war in Afghanistan as well. Wartime policies should shift in a positive direction. We share common interests with regional, Islamic, and neighboring countries, and Afghanistan seeks the best possible relations with all of them and is working to make these relations more trust-based.”

Reza Mobaligh, an international relations analyst, said: “At the international relations level, the prevailing view is that until fundamental issues with major powers are resolved, issues with surrounding and smaller countries cannot be fully resolved either, because global politics, the economy, and other major international issues ultimately remain, in one form or another, under the influence of major powers.”

Earlier, the Islamic Emirate’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that 40 Afghan diplomatic missions are currently active in various countries, while representatives of more than 20 countries are present in Kabul.

Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers release 2 U.N. staff members more than a week after detaining them

August 20, 2026 Current News Articles

By ELENA BECATOROS

Associated Press

August 20, 2026

Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers have released two United Nations staff members who they detained more than a week ago, the U.N. said Thursday, adding that the reason for the two men’s detention remains unclear.

The arrests were the latest in a series of detentions by Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities. Last week, the advocacy group Human Rights Watch said six staff members of a local organization working on women’s and children’s rights had been “forcibly disappeared” for more than a month.

“For us, we’re just delighted that they’ve been released, they’re in good health, and they face apparently no more judicial legal issues,” U.N. spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told reporters at U.N. headquarters in New York.

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan said its two employees, who were detained in the western city of Herat on Aug. 9, were released Thursday morning and appeared to be in good health.

“UNAMA has not been formally notified of the reasons for their arrest and detention and continues to follow up with the de facto authorities,” the U.N. said in a statement, adding that it understood that the charges against the two had been dropped.

It said the organization was also following up “to ensure respect for the privileges and immunities of the United Nations, as well as the safety, security and freedom of movement of United Nations and associated personnel throughout the country.”

Afghan authorities did not immediately comment on the U.N. staff members’ release.

The U.N. mission’s mandate from the U.N. Security Council includes promoting and supporting humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people, promoting human rights, equality for women and girls, inclusive governance and economic stability.

On Aug. 12, Human Rights Watch said six senior members from the Women and Children Legal Research Foundation were detained on July 18 after they were told to come to their office to retrieve laptops and phones confiscated during a raid on the organization’s offices about a month earlier.

It said authorities had not provided any information on the staffers’ whereabouts, and called for them to be allowed visits by family members and lawyers.

The six were still in custody on Thursday, HRW said.

The Taliban seized power in Afghanistan on Aug. 15, 2021, as U.S. and NATO forces withdrew from the country after two decades of war.

Shortly after, they barred girls from education beyond primary school and banned women from nearly all employment, effectively excluding women and girls from public life. They have also effectively condoned child marriage and have made domestic violence punishable only in cases in which a woman has suffered visible injuries or broken bones.

In June, at least 30 women were arrested in Herat for alleged infringements of the country’s draconian dress code for women, sparking a rare protest in the city which Taliban police violently suppressed, leaving at least one person dead.

OAS warns Haiti needs help as it prepares to hold elections for the first time since 2016

August 20, 2026 Current News Articles

Washington Post

Associated Press

August 19. 2026

The secretary general of the Organization of American States says that Haiti needs help fighting gangs and seizing back territory as it prepares to hold general elections for the first time in more than a decade

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — Albert Ramdin, secretary general of the Organization of American States, said Wednesday during a trip to Haiti that the country needs help fighting gangs and seizing back territory as it prepares to hold general elections for the first time in more than a decade.

Ramdin spoke as he concluded a trip to the troubled Caribbean country, where he met with the prime minister and other officials.

He said the new U.N.-backed gang suppression force needs more personnel, equipment and funding.

“The efforts of the (force) are essential to improving security and public safety, and to creating the conditions for a safe electoral process,” he said. “Progress must be visible and measurable as soon as possible.”

Ramdin said priorities are securing the main route to the main international airport ; ensuring ongoing access to the airport and seaport; and restoring safe access to Haiti’s southern region. Gangs currently control the main routes leading in and out of the capital.

He also called on Haiti to step up registration and identification of voters ahead of the Dec. 13 general elections. Haiti hasn’t had a president since Jovenel Moïse was killed at his private residence in July 2021. Since then, gang violence has only surged, displacing a record 1.5 million people.

Ramdin promised to keep “mobilizing political, technical and financial support” for the Caribbean country.

He said the OAS will work with the Pan American Health Organization to build trauma centers to treat wounded Haitian police officers as they continue to push back against gangs that control an estimated 70% of Port-au-Prince and swaths of land beyond the capital.

Ramdin said he also plans to set up a delegation of business leaders to talk about potential investment projects in Haiti, where poverty, hunger and unemployment are deepening.

“Haiti is at a decisive point,” he said. “The future of Haiti belongs first and foremost to the Haitian people. But the international community also has responsibilities.”

Afghanistan’s geography should not be field for negative competition, but bridge for prosperity: Envoy

August 17, 2026 Current News Articles

The Tribune (India)

ANI

Aug 18, 2026

New Delhi [India], August 18 (ANI): Afghanistan on Monday highlighted that the country’s geographical position should not be a field for negative competition but rather a bridge for connectivity, cooperation and shared prosperity.

During the fifth anniversary of the ‘Victory’ Day reception at the Afghan Embassy in New Delhi, Mufti Noor Ahmad Noor, Charge d’Affaires at the Embassy, emphasised Kabul’s efforts to expand regional economic and transit cooperation.

“The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan believes that Afghanistan’s geography should not be a field for negative competition, but rather a bridge for connectivity, cooperation and shared prosperity,” Noor said.

He said Afghanistan has continued its practical efforts to expand regional economic and transit cooperation, facilitate trade and strengthen relations with countries based on mutual interests.

“A peaceful, stable and responsible Afghanistan creates new opportunities for regional connectivity, trade, investment and economic cooperation, while also playing a constructive role in preventing shared security threats,” he said.

He highlighted how focus has shifted from managing war towards strengthening the rule of law, expanding diplomatic and economic relations, reconstruction and economic development, and providing public services.

“Advancing regional economic projects and supporting the private sector are clear examples of this direction,” Noor said.

He also highlighted the progress of regional economic and transit initiatives, describing them as important foundations for Afghanistan’s economic growth and regional connectivity.

“The implementation of long-term plans in the areas of economic growth, energy, urban development, health and infrastructure, as well as maintaining the stability and strength of the Afghan currency, demonstrates that alongside short-term measures, Afghanistan also has a clear vision for sustainable development,” he said.

The Afghan envoy also stressed the importance of supporting the private sector, promoting domestic production, facilitating trade and developing investment and contracts in the mining sector for the lawful utilisation of the country’s natural resources.

Emphasising the importance of regional engagement, Noor said sustainable relations can be strengthened through confidence-building, economic partnerships and continued dialogue.

“We believe that sustainable relations are further strengthened through confidence-building, economic partnership and continued engagement,” he said.

Anand Prakash, Joint Secretary of the PAI Division, Ministry of External Affairs, attended the event.

Ambassadors from Iran, Bhutan, Serbia and officials from many countries including China were present.

In his remarks, Noor also pitched for deepening political trust and economic partnership with India so as to contribute to regional stability, connectivity and shared prosperity.

He underlined how official diplomatic contacts between the two countries have expanded, embassies and consulates have become more active, and high-level delegations have continued to exchange visits.

Recalling the recent visit of Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister to India and how constructive understanding has developed in the areas of political, economic, and humanitarian cooperation, he noted that New Delhi and Kabul have reached understandings in various areas.

“These developments represent an important step forward in further strengthening and expanding cooperation between Afghanistan and India. We believe that stronger political trust, economic partnership, and continued engagement between Afghanistan and India will not only benefit both countries, but will also make an important contribution to regional stability, connectivity, and shared prosperity,” Mufti Noor Ahmad Noor said. (ANI)

Afghan Activists in Washington Call for Women’s Rights, a Better Future for Afghanistan

August 17, 2026 Current News Articles

By Fidel Rahmati

Khaama Press

August 17, 2026

Afghan civil society activists, artists and members of the Afghanistan community gathered in Washington on Sunday, August 16, to mark the fifth anniversary of the fall of Afghanistan’s former republic, calling for continued international support for the rights of Afghans, particularly women and girls.

Participants urged governments and international institutions to maintain advocacy for a free, inclusive and rights-based future for Afghanistan. They also called for greater international attention to the restrictions facing women and girls, including their exclusion from secondary and higher education, employment, social activities and much of public life.

The gathering comes as Afghanistan enters its fifth year under Taliban rule, with international rights groups continuing to document extensive restrictions on women and girls. Human Rights Watch has described the situation as one of the world’s worst human rights crises and said the restrictions have systematically dismantled many rights of women and girls.

Participants in Washington called on the international community to take stronger action against what they described as “gender apartheid” in Afghanistan. They urged governments to ensure that engagement with the Taliban is tied to measurable commitments on human rights, particularly the rights of women and girls, rather than leading to normalization without conditions.

Their concerns come amid growing international engagement with the Taliban despite the absence of significant changes to its policies on women’s rights.

The gathering also highlighted other longstanding concerns, including alleged land seizures, forced displacement and violations affecting ethnic communities. Participants called for independent mechanisms to document human rights violations and for those responsible to be held accountable.

The situation of Afghan women and girls was a central concern. Reuters reported this month that approximately 2.4 million Afghan girls have been barred from secondary education since the Taliban returned to power, making Afghanistan the only country where women and girls are formally excluded from both secondary and higher education.

The United Nations has also warned that funding shortages are threatening programs supporting Afghan women. More than half of 74 women’s organizations surveyed by U.N. Women were reportedly at risk of suspending operations or closing within a year, while the U.N.’s $1.7 billion humanitarian appeal for Afghanistan remained only partly funded.

Beyond restrictions on rights, Afghanistan continues to face a severe humanitarian crisis. Humanitarian agencies have warned of growing needs amid poverty, displacement, drought, earthquakes and declining aid, while nearly 40% of the population is estimated to require humanitarian assistance.

Kabul Welcomes China’s Efforts to Ease Afghanistan-Pakistan Tensions

August 17, 2026 Current News Articles

TOLOnews

TV Network

17 August 2026

China is among the countries with close ties to the Islamic Emirate and also maintains strong relations with Pakistan.

The Islamic Emirate has praised China’s efforts to reduce tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The spokesperson for the Islamic Emirate told TOLOnews that, in light of the Chinese special envoy for Afghanistan’s visits to Türkiye and Pakistan, Afghanistan also does not favor escalating tensions.

Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesperson for the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, said: “Afghanistan welcomes the efforts of countries seeking to reduce tensions and mediate between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Countries such as Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Türkiye have previously made efforts in this regard. Afghanistan appreciates these efforts and believes in understanding and dialogue.”

China’s special envoy for Afghanistan recently said that during his visits to Türkiye, Pakistan and Afghanistan, he discussed ways to improve and expand relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

A statement from China’s Foreign Ministry said: “During his visit to Türkiye, Special Envoy Yue Xiaoyong met with the director-general for South Asia at the Turkish Foreign Ministry and held in-depth discussions and exchanged views on issues of mutual interest. During his visits to Pakistan and Afghanistan, he also separately exchanged views with officials from both countries on efforts to improve and develop Afghanistan-Pakistan relations.”

Yousuf Amin Zazi, a political analyst, said: “China has the ability to build coordination at the United Nations and work toward resolving the problems between Afghanistan and Pakistan. However, it cannot do so alone, because our problems with Pakistan are longstanding and historical.”

China is among the countries with close ties to the Islamic Emirate and also maintains strong relations with Pakistan.

Since tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan began, China has sought through consultations with both sides to help reduce differences and strengthen relations between the two countries.

UN Women Calls for Continued Investment in Afghan Women, Girls

August 17, 2026 Current News Articles

Bibi Amina Hakimi

TOLOnews’ Reporter

17 August 2026

According to her, secondary schools remain closed to girls, while universities are open only to men.

Susan Ferguson, UN Women’s Special Representative in Afghanistan, has called on governments and international donors to continue supporting and investing in women and girls in Afghanistan.

The UN official said the exclusion of Afghan women and girls from education, employment, freedom of movement, participation in public life and equality before the law should not become normalized.

According to her, secondary schools remain closed to girls, while universities are open only to men.

Ferguson said: “I urge all governments and international donors to continue investing in Afghan women and girls and to increase, not decrease, foreign aid, because doing anything less would mean abandoning the women and girls of Afghanistan.”

The UN Women Special Representative for Afghanistan also said restrictions on education have contributed to a growing shortage of female healthcare workers, making it more difficult for women to access medical services, particularly in areas where, due to social norms, women cannot receive healthcare from male doctors.

She added: “Many of these women and girls really want to play a role in Afghanistan. They want to contribute to the country’s development, they want Afghanistan to progress, and they want to be part of that progress. It is difficult to see this untapped potential—women who want to move the country forward.”

A women’s rights activist also called on the United Nations and the Islamic Emirate to support women and girls in Afghanistan.

Mumtaz Yousufzai, a women’s rights activist, said: “The government should provide support, and particularly the international community, which is present in Afghanistan and has active offices here, should also pay attention. Women in Afghanistan should be supported, and the government should also give greater attention to them.”

The Islamic Emirate has previously said that the rights of women and girls in the country are ensured within the framework of Islamic Sharia.

By ELENA BECATOROS

The Tribune (India)

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