RASC News

Rudabe Applied Studies Center

  • Home
  • Afghanistan
  • World
  • Arts & Culture
  • History
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Women Studies
  • Videos
  • Photos
  • About
  • English
    • العربية
    • English
    • Français
    • Deutsch
    • پښتو
    • فارسی
    • Русский
    • Español
    • Тоҷикӣ
RASC NewsRASC News
  • Home
  • Afghanistan
  • World
  • Arts & Culture
  • History
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Women Studies
  • Videos
  • Photos
  • About
Follow US
© 2023 RASC. All Rights Reserved.
RASC News > Afghanistan > Surging Unemployment in Afghanistan: Women Forced to Sell Their Hair for Survival
AfghanistanNewsWorld

Surging Unemployment in Afghanistan: Women Forced to Sell Their Hair for Survival

Published 26/03/2025
SHARE

RASC News Agency: The economic devastation following the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan has led to a sharp rise in poverty and unemployment, disproportionately affecting women. Stripped of their right to work and barred from educational institutions, many women have been left with no means of financial independence. Before the Taliban’s resurgence, Afghanistani women actively participated in the workforce, held jobs, and even had the option to sell their hair for wig production, providing them with a vital source of income. However, with the group’s return to power, economic hardship has deepened, forcing women like 28-year-old Gulsum to resort to selling their hair in secret to make ends meet.

Gulsum, one of the few women still employed in the private sector in Kabul, says, “I need this money to buy essentials for myself or household items.” She reveals that she sells every 100 grams of hair for just over $3 a meager sum compared to her monthly salary of $100. According to her, buyers often seeking raw materials for wig production overseas knock on doors to collect hair from those willing to sell. The gathered hair is then exported primarily to Pakistan and China. Expressing her frustration, Gulsum blames the Taliban for the loss of her job and the worsening plight of women. Since reclaiming power, the Taliban have imposed draconian restrictions on women’s rights, prompting the United Nations to label the situation “gender apartheid.”

Women and girls have been systematically excluded from universities and schools, effectively erasing their prospects for future employment. Additionally, they have been banned from parks, gyms, and even beauty salons, further isolating them from public life. The Taliban’s Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice continues to interfere in daily life, instilling fear and reinforcing oppressive norms. In response to these harsh restrictions, a growing number of women have turned to the clandestine trade of selling their hair, risking discovery in a desperate bid to support their families.

RASC 26/03/2025

Follow Us

Facebook Like
Twitter Follow
Instagram Follow
Youtube Subscribe
Related Articles
Pakistani Medias: Pakistan will no longer defend the Taliban group in international forums
AfghanistanNewsWorld

Pakistani Medias: Pakistan will no longer defend the Taliban group in international forums

09/11/2023
U.S. Reduction of Aid to Afghanistan: UN Shifts Humanitarian Priorities Amid Dwindling Resources
Iranian Newspaper: Taliban Diplomats in Zahedan Threaten Iran’s National Security
Underground Under the Taliban: 800 Days of Captivity, Torture, Starvation, and Forced Ideology
WFP Begins Food Aid for Herat Earthquake Victims
- ADVERTISEMENT -
Ad imageAd image
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vivamus a odio ex.
English | Français
Deutsch | Español
Русский | Тоҷикӣ
فارسی | پښتو | العربية

© 2023 RASC. All Rights Reserved.

Removed from reading list

Undo
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Lost your password?