“You Are Not Allowed”: Fear and Silence as Afghan Women UN Workers Face Threats in Kabul

“You Are Not Allowed”: Fear and Silence as Afghan Women UN Workers Face Threats in Kabul

By Parrot Newspaper International Desk

Kabul, Afghanistan – June 5, 2025

In a haunting echo of Afghanistan’s tightening grip on women’s rights, several Afghan women working with United Nations agencies in Kabul have been forced to retreat into silence and solitude—harassed, threatened, and now hidden behind the thin veil of safety offered by remote work.

“I am scared. Every time my phone lights up, I flinch,” whispered Huda (not her real name), a young Afghan woman working with a UN agency. “They keep telling me, ‘Don’t let me see you again, or else.’”

She is not alone. Dozens of Afghan women employed by the UN are living in fear after receiving chilling threats from unidentified men. The warning is always the same: stay home, or face consequences. Some were stalked on the streets. Others were stopped while riding in UN-marked vehicles. Many received ominous messages from unknown numbers.

The United Nations confirmed the threats this week, calling them “extremely serious.” UNAMA—the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan—has advised affected women to work from home as a temporary measure to safeguard their lives.

Since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, Afghan women have faced increasing erasure. Women are banned from attending secondary schools, barred from public parks, and in 2022, prohibited from working for NGOs—restrictions that were later extended to the UN. With rare exceptions in health and education sectors, even these jobs come with a price: fear.

For 32-year-old Selsela, that price was humiliation and terror. “They told me I should be ashamed of myself. They said, ‘This is your last warning.’” Her voice cracked as she described the encounter. She had just left her office—one of the last few spaces in Kabul where she felt a sense of purpose and dignity. Now, she’s stuck trying to work from home in a country where electricity flickers and internet access is a luxury.

Rahila, another UN staffer, recounted a horrifying moment when she and two colleagues were confronted by men who shouted, “Don’t you know you’re not allowed?” Since then, Rahila has received anonymous threats. “I need this job. I need the salary,” she said, her voice thin with worry.

These women are among the few who continue to defy a system that has closed nearly every door to them. But their resistance is costing them peace of mind, safety, and freedom.

While the Taliban government denies any role in the threats, the broader context is damning. The United Nations has accused Afghanistan’s rulers of implementing “gender apartheid.” Despite pledges by the Interior Ministry to investigate, trust remains thin on the ground.

Behind every whispered testimony is a shared agony: fear not just for oneself, but for what’s being lost—freedom, purpose, the simple dignity of being seen. “The situation for women is getting worse every day,” Huda said, the weight of those words hanging heavy.

Meanwhile, more than 34 million Afghans are struggling just to survive. The UN reports that three-quarters of the population are unable to meet basic daily needs. In the midst of this crisis, Afghan women—especially those brave enough to keep working—have become both lifelines and targets.

The world watches from a distance. But for Afghan women like Huda, Selsela, and Rahila, the frontlines are not just about work—they are about existence.

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Parrot Newspaper | ISSN 3092-8427 | parrotnewspaper.com
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