This study aims to explore the impact of the Taliban’s employment ban on Afghan women and their subsequent shift to informal work. Using a qualitative research design, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 women who transitioned from formal employment to informal labour due to the Taliban’s formal employment ban for women. Thematic analysis was employed to identify key patterns in their lived experiences. Findings reveal that the shift to informal work has resulted in significant financial, social, and psychological losses. This study fills a critical gap in understanding the gendered impact of forced transitions to informal work in post-2021 Afghanistan.
Adeoye-OlatundeOAOlenikNL (2021) Research and scholarly methods: Semi-structured interviews. Journal of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy4(10): 1358–1367.Available at: https://doi.org/10.1002/jac5.1441
2.
AkinwaleAA (2014) Precarious working conditions and exploitation of workers in the Nigeria informal economy
ArsalTBasriMTonoS (2017) Bakul: Contribution of rural women to family economy through informal sector activities. Komunitas9(1): 136–142. Available at: https://doi.org/10.15294/komunitas.v9i1.8906
5.
BerrebiCOstwaldJ (2016) Terrorism and the labor force: Evidence of an effect on female labor force participation and the labor gender gap. Journal of Conflict Resolution60(1): 32–60. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1177/0022002714535251
6.
BhanuwatiAH (2024) From power to oppression: Threats to the security of Afghan women in the new era of the Taliban regime. In: Proceedings of Sunan Ampel International Conference of Political and Social Sciences2: 192–205. Available at: https://doi.org/10.15642/saicopss.2024.2.192-205
7.
BonnetFVanekJChenM (2019) Women and men in the informal economy: A statistical brief. International Labour Office, Geneva20(1).
CreswellJWPothCN (2016) Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches. Sage Publications.
13.
DesaiILiL (2016) Analyzing female labor force participation in Afghanistan. Public Administration and Development. John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University.
14.
EtimEDaramolaO (2020) The informal sector and economic growth of South Africa and Nigeria: A comparative systematic review. Journal of Open Innovation: Technology, Market, and Complexity6(4): 134. Available at: https://doi.org/10.3390/joitmc6040134
15.
GinsburgT (2011) An economic interpretation of the Pashtunwali. The University of Chicago Legal Forum, 89.
16.
HanmerLKlugmanJ (2016) Exploring women's agency and empowerment in developing countries: Where do we stand?Feminist Economics22(1): 237–263. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/13545701.2015.1091087
17.
HeathRJayachandranS (2016) The Causes and Consequences of Increased Female Education and Labor Force Participation in Developing Countries (No. w22766). National Bureau of Economic Research.
18.
HorwoodCHaskinsLAlfersL, et al (2019) A descriptive study to explore working conditions and childcare practices among informal women workers in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa: identifying opportunities to support childcare for mothers in informal work. BMC Pediatrics19: 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12887-019-1737-7
IslamMTAlamMJ (2019) The relationship between informal economy and GDP growth: a study on south-asian developing countries. Canadian Journal of Business and Information Studies1(5): 01–09. Available at: https://doi.org/10.34104/cjbis.019.0109
JayachandranS (2020) Social norms as a barrier to women's employment in developing countries (No. W27449). National Bureau of Economic Research.
23.
JICA (2013). Country Gender Profile: Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. Japan International Cooperation Agency.
24.
JosephTNevoCNwolisaC (2022) Informal Economy and Gender Inequality in Africa. African Economic and Management Review2(1): 1–12. Available at: https://doi.org/10.53790/aemr.v2i1.25
25.
KallioHPietiläAMJohnsonM, et al (2016) Systematic methodological review: developing a framework for a qualitative semi-structured interview guide. Journal of Advanced Nursing72(12): 2954–2965. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.13031
26.
MalettaH (2008) Gender and employment in rural Afghanistan, 2003–5. Journal of Asian and African Studies43(2): 173–196. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1177/0021909607087219
27.
MartínezLZafraMI (2025) The hidden penalties of informal work: Life-job satisfaction and negative affect. Wellbeing, Space and Society8100253. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wss.2025.100253
28.
MeeraMYektaK (2021) The challenges to political participation of women in Afghanistan: Historical and cultural perspectives. Asian Studies9(1): 65–91. Available at: https://doi.org/10.4312/as.2021.9.1.65-91
29.
MeghirCNaritaRRobinJM (2015) Wages and informality in developing countries. American Economic Review105(4): 1509–1546. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1257/aer.20121110
30.
MohammadyKVepaS (2025a) Determinants of formal financial services utilization in Afghanistan. Accounting and Finance Studies5(2): 122–137. Available at: https://doi.org/10.47153/afs52.15572025
31.
MohammadyKVepaS (2025b) Assessing gender disparities in formal financial services utilization in Afghanistan: Evidence from the Global Findex Database. South Asian Journal of Social Studies and Economics22(3): 166–180. Available at: https://doi.org/10.9734/sajsse/2025/v22i3979
NooriMOVemuriS (2025) Empowerment or Exploitation? The Dual Role of Informal Work in Women's Lives in Afghanistan's Carpet Sector Post-2021. South Asian Journal of Social Studies and Economics22(5): 10–9734. Available at: https://doi.org/10.9734/sajsse/2025/v22i51008
34.
PandaS (2018) Constraints faced by women entrepreneurs in developing countries: review and ranking. Gender in Management: An International Journal33(4): 315–331. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1108/GM-01-2017-0003
35.
PattonMQ (2014) Qualitative research & evaluation methods: Integrating theory and practice. Sage Publications.
36.
Pineda DuqueJACastiblanco MorenoSE (2022) Informal entrepreneurship and women's empowerment–the case of street vendors in urban Colombia. International Journal of Gender and Entrepreneurship14(2): 188–212. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1108/IJGE-04-2021-0068
37.
PradnyawanSWABudionoASybelleJA (2022) Aspects of International Law and Human Rights on The Return of The Taliban in Afghanistan. Audito Comparative Law Journal (ACLJ): 3(3): 132–138. Available at: https://doi.org/10.22219/aclj.v3i3.23237
38.
Qazi ZadaSQazi ZadaMZ (2024) The Taliban and women's human rights in Afghanistan: the way forward. The International Journal of Human Rights28(10): 1687–1722. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/13642987.2024.2369584
Rojas- GarcíaGToledo GonzálezMP (2018) Paid domestic work: gender and the informal economy in Mexico. Latin American Perspectives45(1): 146–162. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1177/0094582X17734545
41.
RubinHJRubinIS (2011) Qualitative interviewing: The art of hearing data. Sage.
WaniZA (2024) Women, extremism and repression under Taliban 2.0 in Afghanistan: beyond the good. Small Wars & Insurgencies35(7): 1212–1232. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/09592318.2024.2361974
44.
WilliamsCCHorodnicIAWindebankJ (2015) Explaining participation in the informal economy: An institutional incongruence perspective. International Sociology30(3): 294–313. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1177/0268580915578745
ZhouDZhangQLiJ (2024) Impact of informal employment on individuals’ psychological well-being: microevidence from China. International Journal of Mental Health Systems1(1): 8–29. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13033-024-00648-4
