The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) released its 68th and final report, as per Tolo News.
SIGAR’s monitoring process, the end of its mission, the role of other US government agencies in monitoring Afghanistan’s affairs, the state of women and girls, security, the economy, counter-narcotics efforts, recent developments, and US aid to Afghanistan are among the topics covered in the report. According to SIGAR’s study, for the last four years, the Taliban in Afghanistan have largely deprived Afghan women and girls of their rights.
A recent U.S. report creates a grim picture: since returning to power in August 2021, the Taliban have systematically obliterated the fundamental rights of Afghan women. More than 70 decrees were issued by the authorities restricting girls’ education past grade six, barring women from most employment sectors, and placing severe limitations on their free mobility without male guardians. Women must have a close male relative for travel, even for short distances. These restrictions include punishment under morality laws for speaking in public or appearing in media without being fully covered from head to toe.
NEW: Today, SIGAR released its 68th Quarterly Report to Congress, examining the U.S. reconstruction effort in #Afghanistan. Read here: https://t.co/GgvtSZi1x0
— SIGAR (@SIGARHQ) July 31, 2025
Health and participation in civil society also suffer: most women report being in poor psychological well-being and many feel like they have been wiped out altogether from public life. The de facto regime has further banned women from working in NGOs and in universities and healthcare training, thereby stationing themselves at a high vantage point to muffle women’s voices and strip them of agency.
Tolo News reported that the United States provided Afghanistan with around USD 342 million in humanitarian aid in fiscal year 2025, a significant decrease from the USD 968 million provided in 2023.
The Burgeoning Costs Personal and Economic
The graveness of such policies with equally grievous socio-economic effects. According to UN Women, Afghanistan loses over $1 billion a year-from about 5% of its GDP-because of keeping girls out of school and keeping women out of the labor force. The policy environment also fosters early child marriages and exacerbates maternal health risks with long-term implications for Afghan society.
Under the Taliban regime, women describe their lives as “alive yet not living.” Many recount stories of being locked down, surveilled, and treated like second-class citizens within their very own homes. Depression and suicide among Afghan women are rapidly rising, making their already fragile mental health condition worse as a result of isolation and fear.
Abdul Latif Nazari, Deputy Minister of Economy, stated, “The recent SIGAR report has both positive and negative aspects, but I want to emphasise two points: First, the US has politicised humanitarian aid, which contradicts humanitarian principles and international law. Second, it is alleged that the Islamic Emirate interferes in international aid, and we strongly and categorically reject this claim.”
Yet, amid oppression, resilience emerges. Afghan women continue resistance by operating black schools, setting up women-run radio channels such as Begum TV, and amplifying community voices through UN-funded projects. These grassroots initiatives display the indomitable spirit to demand dignity, education, and social presence against violent erasure of rights.
It’s worth noting that SIGAR previously stated the US has provided over USD 3.83 billion in aid to Afghanistan since 2021.
