In the face of extreme gender inequality in Afghanistan—what many women’s rights leaders around the world are referring to as “gender apartheid”—both women and the broader society are suffering economically. Authored by Counterpart gender experts Lida Nadery Hedayat and Manizha Wafeq, this timely white paper explores the severe exclusion of Afghan women from the workforce, the barriers that have been placed before women entrepreneurs, and the development impact on the country and region, and then concludes with recommendations for policymakers, donors, and the private sector.