Afghanistan has seen a stark reversal in progress in all sectors of their society after the Taliban took over in 2021. However, one of the most deeply impacted sectors has been women’s health. Before 2021, there had been 20 years of growth in the health sector. Maternal mortality had decreased from 1,345 deaths/100,000 live births […]
Afghan Women Continue to Bear the Brunt of Trump Administration Aid Cuts
The Trump administration’s sweeping rollback of U.S. foreign aid is sending shockwaves across global humanitarian sectors, however, the consequences are more devastating than ever in Afghanistan, where women already battling Taliban oppression are now being cut off from their last lifelines to education and survival. Last week, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) abruptly […]
Revoking T.P.S. for Afghan Allies Leaves Them in Jeopardy Once More
The Trump administration announced on Friday that Temporary Protected Status (T.P.S.) for Afghan allies in the United States is being canceled, stating that “Afghanistan no longer meets the statutory requirements for its T.P.S. designation.” As a result, over 14,000 Afghans now face the risk of deportation in May and June. Afghans were first protected under […]
Countries Must Stop Accepting Taliban Diplomats and Prioritize Women’s Human Rights
Since returning to power, the Taliban has tried to consolidate their power by taking control of foreign embassies and consulates. According to AP News, The Taliban has said that they “no longer recognize Afghanistan’s diplomatic missions set up by the former, Western-backed government and that they will not honor passports, visas and other documents issued […]
A New School Year Begins in Afghanistan, But Not for Afghan Girls
The start of Spring marks a new school year in Afghanistan, but for millions of Afghan girls, the doors to education remain firmly shut. For the fourth consecutive year, the Taliban has upheld its ban on secondary and higher education for girls, a policy that UNESCO estimates has affected at least 1.5 million Afghan girls […]
The Institute of Peace vs. the Trump Administration: An Overreach of Executive Power
On Monday, March 17, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) gained access to the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP) Headquarters building, resulting in a standoff between USIP, DOGE, and law enforcement. Following these events, USIP has filed a lawsuit against President Donald Trump, DOGE, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and USAID Administrator Kenneth Jackson. “Attacks […]
U.N. Commission on the Status of Women Hosts Event to End Child Marriage
Panelists at the UN CSW event On March 19, the 69th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women hosted a side event called “No Child Left a Bride: Successes & Setbacks in the Global Effort to End Child Marriage” in collaboration with Unchained at Last, an organization dedicated to ending child […]
Decline in Civil Liberties Gets U.S. Added to Global Watchlist
CIVICUS, an international non-profit organization focused on civil rights and citizen action, added the United States to its Monitor Watchlist on March 9 in response to the Trump Administration’s threats to civic freedoms. This indicates that the non-profit has detected a rapid decline in liberties such as the freedom to assemble, freedom to associate, and […]
Allies Feeling “Betrayed” and “Disappointed” by the Closure of the Afghan Resettlement Program
The order the State Department has received to close the Office of the Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts (CARE) by April 2025 has left many Afghans and military veterans shocked and upset at this decision. The program has not officially closed yet, but all signs point to its permanent shutdown. The decision to close CARE means […]
Plan to Shut Down Afghan Resettlement Office Leaves Thousands of Afghan Allies in Limbo
The U.S. State Department has ordered the Office of the Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts (CARE) to prepare for closure by April 2025, a decision that has raised significant concern among advocates and Afghans awaiting resettlement. The decision affects some 200,000 individuals, including family members of Afghan-American U.S. military personnel, minors awaiting reunification with their […]
The Cost of Cutting Foreign Aid
In his first week in office, President Donald Trump signed an executive order pausing all federal funding for foreign aid for 90 days. The order, “Reevaluating and Realigning United States Foreign Aid,” is expected to have detrimental effects on health, safety, and essential services in communities worldwide. Following this order, Trump and Elon Musk have […]
Over 100 Organizations Urge Congress to Reverse Trump’s Executive Order on Refugee Resettlement
A coalition of 123 national, state, and local organizations from across the United States (U.S.) is calling on Congress to rescind President Trump’s executive order “Realigning USRAP.” The executive order has suspended the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) and frozen humanitarian assistance to millions of people needing assistance. The Feminist Majority Foundation, among the signatories, […]
Trump Reinstates Global Gag Rule, an Assault on Women’s Health around the World
Photo from Unplash Donald Trump has begun his second term in office by signing an executive order that prevents foreign organizations receiving U.S. global health assistance from providing information, referrals, or services for legal abortion, or advocating for access to abortion services in their country. This policy is widely known as “The Global Gag Rule.” […]
Eligible Afghan Refugees Denied Access to Resettlement Following Trump’s Executive Orders
On Jan. 20, President Donald Trump introduced a slew of executive orders including the swift signing of an order suspending the resettlement of all refugees to the United States for an indefinite period of time. As a direct effect of this order, more than 1,600 Afghans who had been approved by the U.S. Government to […]
ICC Seeks Arrest Warrants for Taliban Leaders Over Gender Persecution
In a historic decision, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for two top Taliban leaders for widespread violations of the Rome Statute, the treaty that underpins the court’s jurisdiction. The move underscores growing international outrage over the Taliban’s systemic abuses against women and other vulnerable groups in Afghanistan since their return to power […]
Afghan Women Denounce Taliban’s Ban on Medical Training
The Taliban has banned education for Afghan girls and women beyond the 6th grade for over three years and higher education for two years. Until recently, the only pathway for education that remained was medical institutions for Afghan women. Two weeks ago, the Taliban announced that female students would be barred from attending medical institutions […]
Human Rights Day – A Day of Mourning for Afghan Women
December 10 is International Human Rights Day. It is a day to commemorate human rights for all regardless of their background, ethnicity, and gender. In Afghanistan, this day stands as a stark reminder of the fundamental rights Afghan women have been denied by the Taliban regime. Afghan women are mourning the loss of their fundamental […]
Proposed Bill Would Lower Iraq’s Age of Consent to 9 Years Old
The Iraqi parliament is facing mounting pressure from civil society, women’s rights groups, and activists as it considers amendments to the Personal Status Law that could drastically affect the rights and well-being of women and girls in Iraq. If passed, these amendments would lower the legal marriage age from 18 to as young as nine […]
Taliban: “80 Percent of Women’s Rights have been Provided”
When the Taliban took power in 2021, Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban’s spokesman, promised that “the Taliban would honor women’s rights within the norms of Islamic law.” Three years later, Sait-ul-Islam Khyber, the Taliban’s spokesman for their Ministry of Vice and Virtue, said “80% of women’s rights have been provided to them. These rights include marriage, […]
The Weaponization of Girls And Women During Conflict
Photo by DVIDSHUB In a recent event on October 28 hosted by the O’Neill Institute of Georgetown Law, a panel of experts convened to discuss the alarming realities faced by women and girls in conflict zones and beyond. The discussion was moderated by Pema Levy who highlighted a stark report released by the United Nations this […]
