According to the UN Mission, Afghan women are the "most oppressed in the world."

According to the United Nations, Afghanistan under the Taliban rule is the "most oppressive country in the world" for women's rights, with officials effectively confining women and girls in their homes.

AFP journalists observed about 20 women stage a rare demonstration in a Kabul street on Wednesday, calling on the international community to defend Afghans.

Since assuming power in August 2021, the Taliban government has implemented a litany of restrictions on children and women, adhering to an austere interpretation of Islam.

"It has been disheartening to observe their meticulous, purposeful, and systematic efforts to force Afghan women and girls out of the public realm," said Roza Otunbayeva, the UN mission's leader in Afghanistan, in a statement commemorating International Women's Day.

The UN mission called the crackdown a "colossal act of national self-harm" at a time when Afghanistan is dealing with some of the world's most serious humanitarian and economic crises.

Taliban officials have either eliminated women from all but essential government positions or are paying them a fraction of their previous salaries to stay at home.

Women are also prohibited from visiting parks, funfairs, gyms, or public baths, and are required to cover up in public, preferably with a burqa.

The authorities have banned teenage girls and university students from secondary schools and higher educational institutions, respectively.

Some women have launched infrequent rallies against the bans, risking detention, violence, and social humiliation in the process, but police have usually dispersed them quickly.

"The moment has come for the UN to make a firm and serious decision concerning the fate of the (Afghan) people," one of the demonstrators at the Kabul event read from a declaration.

No country has officially recognized the Taliban regime as Afghanistan's legitimate rulers, with the right of women to education a sticking issue in aid and recognition negotiations.

According to humanitarian groups, more than half of the country's 38 million people are hungry, and nearly four million children are malnourished.

The problem was exacerbated late last year when the Taliban leadership prohibited Afghan women from working with non-governmental organizations, causing several relief organizations to halt important operations.

International help has also dropped substantially since the United States frozen Afghanistan's assets after the Taliban reclaimed power, exacerbating the crisis.

The repercussions of the government's policies "affect all Afghans and will ripple across generations," according to Alison Davidian, the UN Special Representative for Women in Afghanistan.