https://bongino.com/the-u-s-spent-787-million-on-gender-equality-projects-in-afghanistan/
A report issued by Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction noted that even though the United States spent more than $787 million dollars on “gender equality projects” in Afghanistan since 2002, “harmful socio-cultural norms” kept them making major progress.
The report did note that there were some small advances. The number of pregnant women receiving prenatal care rose, that more women are working in healthcare and the literacy rate among women grew. However, the report also noted,
The positive story of gains across these sectors is tempered by the reality that significant barriers—including restrictive sociocultural norms and insecurity— continue to impede progress for Afghan women and girls.
• Girls’ access to education is constrained by the lack of female teachers and infrastructure, and pressures on girls to withdraw from school at puberty.
• A lack of female healthcare providers, restrictive sociocultural practices, lack of education, and prohibitive costs pose barriers to women seeking health care.
• The quality of health care and education remains a problem, and education gains have been largely at the primary school level.
• Gains across sectors have been geographically uneven, with rural women and girls experiencing significantly less improvement overall.
• Women who have ventured into non-traditional and historically male-dominated areas—such as the media, security forces, and politics—are at higher risk of retaliation by the Taliban and anti-government elements.
• Gender disparity is still a persistent characteristic of the Afghan labor force.
