Afghan women have been living under one of the most repressive systems in the world, as the Taliban continue to impose restrictive edicts – over 160 in total to date. These orders restrict their ability to work, attend school, move freely and even leave their homes without a male guardian. Yet despite the barriers the Taliban have imposed, Afghan women continue to be at the forefront of efforts to build peace and stability in Afghanistan.
Peace and security extends beyond just political conversations. They also include the “daily strategies Afghan women employ to defend human rights and generate conditions for peace.” According to a report by the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace, and Security, 81% of Afghan women participate in efforts focused on women’s and girl’s education, 64% in economic empowerment, and another 54% in health & reproductive rights and services. Afghan women are also engaged in health and reproductive rights and services, by roughly 9%, compared to women from other regions of South Asia.
These figures demonstrate the perseverance, leadership, and problem solving of Afghan women. Afghanistan is facing a reproductive health crisis, with maternal mortality rapidly increasing since the Taliban took over in 2021. The loss of international funding and organizational support has also greatly affected the reproductive health programs. To help fill these gaps and address the mounting health issues facing women and girls, Afghan women have stepped in to provide critical support and services.
This sense of responsibility extends beyond just responding to immediate needs; it reflects the determination of Afghan women to protect and strengthen their communities despite the restrictions imposed on them. While many formal opportunities for education, employment, and political participation have been taken away after 2021, women have continued to find ways to serve their communities. For example, they have established online schools, supported women’s access to healthcare services, organized community-based initiatives, and advocated for women’s rights.
The significant role women continue to play in activities that promote peace and security demonstrate that resilience is not just their ability to endure oppression. It is also the ability to adapt, organize, and create solutions especially in an environment that has been designed to limit their every move and every opportunity.
Their resilience is particularly significant because many of these efforts occur in an environment where women are already facing risks to their lives. Their actions demonstrate their collective responsibility, where women have repeatedly stepped forward to address unmet needs themselves.
Their resilience also challenges the perception of Afghan women in the media solely as victims of the Taliban restrictions imposed on them. While challenges of these restrictions are severe, Afghan women have found ways to find space and operate within them. They are evidence that resilience can take many forms.
Their efforts demonstrate that, even under deeply restrictive circumstances, Afghan women continue to shape the social fabric of their communities and contribute to building a more stable and peaceful Afghanistan. This is also evident in how Afghan women see and define themselves. Among women working in the peace and security field, 65% of women describe themselves as activists while 37% of them describe themselves as human rights defenders. As one activist explained, “As an activist woman, I am not a victim of war, but an architect of social peace, and this is a voice that must be heard globally.”
Their work in education, healthcare, economic empowerment, and community development demonstrates that Afghan women are not simply recipients of aid or victims of conflict, they are powerful agents of change. Their persistence and leadership are an important source of strength for their communities and a reminder that peacebuilding in Afghanistan cannot succeed without the full participation of Afghan women at the table.
Sources: GIWPS