The Association Between Women's Education and Employment and Household Food Security in Afghanistan

Food insecurity persists in Afghanistan, with 24 million Afghans lacking sufficient food in 2022. Malnourishment affects over 7 million children and mothers (WFP in Afghan Emergency. Retrieved 1.30 from https://www.wfp.org/emergencies/afghanistan-emergency). Women's rights have been severely undermined by the Taliban regime, with bans on education and employment restrictions. Using data from the 2017 Afghanistan Food Security Survey (n = 5027 households), we examined the relationship between women's education, employment, and household food security. Results indicate that households where both men and women have formal education were 52% more likely to be food secure and 50% more likely to have dietary diversity compared to a household lacking anyone with formal education. Women play a vital role in increasing household income and distributing resources towards improving dietary diversity. The rollback and censorship of women's rights under the current regime is bound to exacerbate the catastrophic rates of food insecurity, further worsening the well-being of all Afghans.