Only about 15 per cent of births are attended by trained health workers, with more than 90 per cent of births taking place at home. According to UNICEF, the maternal mortality rate in Afghanistan is the second highest in the world, with an estimated 15,000 women dying each year from pregnancy-related causes.

The infant mortality rate is 165 per 1,000; the under five mortality rate is 257 per 1,000, with one in four children in Afghanistan dying before the age of five from preventable diseases.

Only 23 per cent of the population has access to safe water, and only 12 per cent have access to adequate sanitation, thereby increasing the incidence of diseases. At least 15,000 Afghans die of tuberculosis every year, of which 64 per cent are women.

4 per cent of the population is disabled, many by landmines. Afghanistan is one of the most heavily mined countries in the world. According to the UN Mine Action Programme, Afghanistan has more than 732 square kilometres of its territory mined and about 500 square kilometres of unexploded ordnance.

Malnutrition of women, which negatively affects pregnancies and deliveries as well as the health of children, is not only caused by the food scarcity linked to the conflict and the drought, but is also related to traditional preferences for males which makes women reduce their own food allowance in favour of men and children.

The poor health situation has been aggravated by the lack of basic health services and resources, particularly in rural areas; the strict segregation of medical staff and the small number of trained women doctors, nurses and midwives that remained in the country after the rise of the Taliban.

23 years of war have destroyed the infrastructure of the educational system and further increased the illiteracy rate in Afghanistan. Only 5 per cent of women are able to read and write (during the 1980s, the female adult literacy rate was only 8 per cent).

54 per cent of girls under the age of 18 are married. Families of girls and young women were reportedly forced to marry them to the Taliban or give them large amounts of money instead. Often, families married young girls at an earlier age in order to use the bride price to assist in the family’s survival.

The conflict in Afghanistan during the Taliban rule and the militarization of society led to an increased number of abductions of young girls and women by Taliban fighters. The exact numbers are unknown, as families have been reluctant to come forward and report cases of abductions for fear of reprisals and due to the social stigma attached to a daughter or sister kidnapped or sold for sex.