Report summary:

​The report was authored by ReportOUT Human Rights Researchers Jessica Peck, Daniel Santos and Joshua Hurn, with some external subject-matter expert support. It focuses on Afghanistan, with a specific focus of how human trafficking disproportionately impacts already marginalised sexual and gender minorities.  

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In particular, this study highlights female members of the LGBTQ+ community (lesbians and transgender women), whose vulnerability at the hands of the Taliban is exacerbated by both their gender and their LGBTQ+ status. Unquestionably, the re-establishment of the Taliban’s power has had a detrimental impact on women in the LGBTQ+ community. They are subject to harsh punishments such as whipping and stoning, trapped in abusive relationships, and are often exposed to violence when they refuse to marry.  Transgender women commonly face torture and other physical harm; before the Taliban’s rule, they were able to live relatively freely to a degree without prosecution. The previous support network provided by NGOs has largely vanished over the last three years. This creates a toxic combination of factors which leaves female members of Afghanistan’s LGBTQ+ community uniquely vulnerable to trafficking.

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Whilst empirical data is lacking on the scale of human trafficking in Afghanistan more generally and its disproportionate impact upon sexual and gender minorities, it is clear that stigmatisation and discrimination in every facet of society leaves these groups at increased vulnerability of trafficking. Collecting more detailed data, including whether an individual is LGBTQ+ would assist in more tailored responses.   

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This report reflects the comprehensive nature of ReportOUT's research, aiming to inform and influence policy changes that provide the conditions for greater political inclusion for SOGI communities globally.