Heather Barr, head of the women’s rights division at Human Rights Watch, has warned about the consequences of increasing restrictions on women’s rights and the risks associated with pregnancy in Afghanistan.
In a post on X on Monday, 2 November, Barr said that the rise in child marriages, the denial of access to contraception and abortion for women, are among the concerning factors in Afghanistan.
She also identified the weakening of women’s economic independence and the resurgence of a patriarchal system as other factors exacerbating these concerns.
According to Barr, the increase in forced pregnancies has further worsened the situation.
She added that these developments are taking place at a time when pregnancy is becoming increasingly dangerous in Afghanistan.
The Afghanistan Analysts Network (AAN) had also warned that teenage pregnancies and repeated pregnancies pose greater health risks to mothers, particularly as maternal healthcare has deteriorated over the past five years.
