Female labour force participation amidst the reestablishment of the Islamic emirate of Afghanistan 2021-2023

Abstract

Afghanistan experienced a significant decline in female labour force participation (FLFP) from 17% in 2021 to 6% in 2022, concurrently with re-establishing the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (Taliban) in August 2021. Thus, this study aims to investigate the factors that could have contributed to this rapid decline, explicitly examining whether the re-establishment of the regime played an essential role in this change. The study employed a mixed method approach, combining the quantitative approach using the ordinary least squares (OLS) model that estimates data from 1990-2021 with the qualitative in-depth interviews that capture a varied spectrum of respondents. This study found that political stability has the highest positive impact on female labour force participation, while the women business law index also presents a significant positive impact. However, in contrast, female education, fertility rate, and the dummy variable (representing the regime changes) significantly negatively impact FLFP. Further, qualitative findings corroborate these findings and reveal additional aspects not captured by the model, such as legal barriers, norms, security concerns, and gender discrimination, where legal barriers identified significant challenges to women's decision to join the labour market. Regrettably, these factors have been worsened by political instabilities and regime changes that further decrease women’s participation in the labour force. The results suggest the reforms in policies and regulations, thus pointing to the fact that improvements in the regulatory environment supporting female employment would also positively affect FLFP intensity.