Afghan women harvesting saffron. Screenshot from the Al Jazeera English YouTube channel. This article was written by F.S. for Hasht-e-Subh Daily. An edited version is republished on Global Voices under a media partnership agreement. Agriculture and animal husbandry are primary occupations in Afghanistan, with about 80 percent of the population engaged in them. Afghan women make up a significant portion of this workforce. They are involved in agriculture, animal husbandry, home gardening, chicken and fish farming, handicrafts, and other tasks. They also play a substantial role in land and natural resources management. Moreover, nearly all dairy product production is carried out by women in rural areas. However, this level of activity and work does not mean that women own land or become wealthy from selling their products. On the contrary, women in rural areas are considered a substitute for male labor and unpaid workers, whose work neither leads to financial independence nor improves their living conditions. The main reason for this is the lack of control over and ownership of the joint products of their work when collaborating with men. Women do not benefit much from their work, and whatever income is generated belongs to the male head of the family. In addition to working alongside men in the fields, women farmers also take care of their children at home. However, the work of these women, both at home and in the fields, is not considered labor. Over the past 20 years, Afghanistan has prioritized the empowerment of women. In this regard, NGOs have helped Afghan rural women to some extent to participate regularly in agriculture and livestock sectors. The Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development of Afghanistan had planned an economic development program for rural areas, focusing on women in all 34 provinces of the country. The aim of the Rural Economic Development Program was “elevating the social and economic capabilities of poor rural women in selected villages.” Additionally, one of the goals of the National Solidarity Program (NSP) in 2003, and later the Citizen’s Charter, was to provide agricultural resources to women. Here is a YouTube video about the 2017 project that taught Afghan women agricultural and food preservation skills. Lastly, in September 2018, the Women’s Economic Empowerment project was launched to reduce poverty among rural and agricultural women by creating income-generating opportunities in their villages, increasing women’s employment, and improving the situation of rural women farmers. However, war and insecurity, discriminatory social norms, government inefficiency in raising awareness, and the lack of efforts to improve women’s conditions meant that these efforts failed to make significant changes in the situation of women farmers. The projects designed for women did not turn Afghan women farmers into entrepreneurs or make them the owners of their assets and labor force. Women farmers did not gain access to suitable and regular jobs, and their quality of life did not improve. They continue to face hunger, malnutrition, lack of access to healthcare, and limited productive activities. Their situation is exacerbated by the fact that they have very low levels of literacy and awareness. The Taliban’s rule over Afghanistan has left rural women farmers and livestock breeders in a deplorable situation. Although their situation was not much better before, at least women played an essential role in organizing small unions and benefited from limited assistance. With the arrival of the Taliban in power in August 2021, all women (rural and urban) have been deprived of their previous rights and privileges. Urban women have lost all their freedoms, and the right to work and education, while rural women farmers have been pushed further to the margins. The restrictions and unfavorable agricultural and livestock conditions have created numerous challenges for women farmers. The Taliban’s rise to power has worsened the agricultural situation in Afghanistan. This is concerning, given that 33.48 percent of Afghanistan’s GDP depends on agriculture, and women play a significant role in it. The 2021 report by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) stated that “millions of Afghans are on the brink of disaster, and if their animals die or their fields are not planted, disaster will strike.” This gloomy forecast is materializing today. In the current economic crisis, rural women farmers are more vulnerable than any other group. They face a high likelihood of losing their meager assets or savings, which are usually set aside for healthcare and family hygiene expenses.