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 […]
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 […]
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, […]
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 […]
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, […]
After the United Nations General Assembly – What’s Next for Afghan Women and Girls?
Photo by de:Benutzer:Eborutta The fight and advocacy must go on louder and more effective. During the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) meetings in September, the situation of Afghan women and girls received a significant focus. A few major events, including “Global Solidarity with Afghan Women and Girls” and “The Inclusion of Women in the Future of […]
Afghanistan Under the Taliban is “A Graveyard for Women’s Dreams”
Photo by Nk Ni The Taliban has not stopped their aggressive efforts of restricting and regulating women’s lives. Late August of 2024, the Taliban released a 114 page, 35-article that proved to be the “first formal declaration of the vice and virtue laws in Afghanistan since the takeover.” Edicts in the article include: a mandatory call […]
Three Years Without Education: Its Impacts on Afghan Girls and Afghanistan
Photo by Nk Ni September marked 3 years since the Taliban banned education beyond the secondary level for Afghan girls. More than 1,100 days have passed and there is no progress in reinstating education for girls in Afghanistan. The absence of education has also led to mental health issues – teenage girls struggling everyday not being […]
Four Countries Take Afghanistan to the International Court of Justice Over Violations of CEDAW
Photo by *rboed* In a historic move, four countries — Canada, Germany, Australia, and the Netherlands — are taking Afghanistan, under the Taliban regime to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over their severe violations of women’s and girls’ rights in Afghanistan. The announcement at the UN General Assembly marks a significant international response to what […]
Afghanistan’s Health System in Decline: More Clinics Forced to Close Under the Taliban Rule
Photo by Hush Naidoo Jade Photography Before the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in 2021, “donor development aid for Afghanistan’s public health system was approximately six times the government’s own expenditure on health.” Since August 2021, after the Taliban took power by force, international funding has significantly decreased as many donors pulled their funds. Given Afghanistan’s heavy […]
Apartness: How South Africa’s History of Apartheid Guides the Future for Afghanistan’s Women and Girls
Photo by Gregory Fullard In 1973, after decades of racist policies by South Africa’s National Party, the United Nations ratified a document that officially defined racial apartheid. This convention defined the crime of apartheid as “inhuman acts committed for the purpose of establishing and maintaining domination by one racial group of persons over any other racial […]
Taliban: Female Athletes Do Not Represent Afghanistan at the Paris Olympics This Month
Photo by Bo Zhang The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has invited six Afghan athletes – three women and three men – in “consultation with Afghanistan’s largely exiled national Olympic committee.” However, the spokesman for the Taliban government’s sports directorate, Atal Mashwani, said “only three athletes are representing Afghanistan.” He continued, “in Afghanistan girls’ sports have been […]
