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MMC Asia and the Pacific 4Mi Snapshot - April 2024 : Implications of the Taliban takeover on Afghan women's migration to Türkiye - Afghanistan

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Since August 2021, Taliban rule in Afghanistan has severely restricted women's rights, impacting their freedom of movement, access to education and healthcare, and right to work. This has made life for women incredibly challenging, alongside increased food insecurity, and rising poverty. Türkiye currently hosts 139,333 Afghan refugees and asylum seekers, 35% of whom are women and girls. This snapshot examines the effects of the Taliban takeover on migration dynamics among Afghan women, focusing on the drivers of migration, the routes taken to reach Türkiye, protection risks faced en route and access to assistance. It aims to contribute to a solid evidence base that can inform targeted responses that enhance protection for Afghan women along mixed migration routes.

Key findings

• Deprivation of rights and freedoms was more commonly reported as a driver of migration among women who left Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover (41%, compared to 29% before).

• Sexual discrimination, in particular, was cited more commonly among respondents leaving after August 2021 (74% of those who reported leaving due to deprivation of rights and freedoms, compared to 51% before).

• Since the Taliban takeover, women respondents reported an increased reliance on land routes as compared to before August 2021 (76% post-August 2021 compared to 66% pre-August). This is likely due to the Taliban's prohibition on Afghan women from boarding flights unaccompanied by a male guardian.

• Protection risks were reported as high among those departing Afghanistan before and after August 2021. However, some risks were even more commonly reported by respondents leaving post-August 2021, including detention (44% compared to 31% before) and physical violence (44% compared to 38% before)

• Gaps in assistance prevail, with respondents highlighting critical needs for legal and resettlement assistance in Türkiye, in particular.

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