“The strength of Afghan women has not changed”

Khadija* serves as a Regional Manager at Organisation Y*, one of the oldest women-led organisations in Afghanistan. Her role spans supporting Organisation Y’s programmes, documenting the organisation’s work, and carrying forward the voices and experiences of the women it serves. 

Organisation Y currently operates in three provinces, focusing on livelihood activities and community-based programmes. Though the organisation’s reach has narrowed, it remains closely connected to women and girls, listening to their needs and priorities as they shift. 

Five years on since the Taliban takeover

Khadija describes a landscape transformed over the past five years. Opportunities that once existed in education, employment and public life have been stripped away, leaving women and girls to navigate mounting restrictions alongside families gripped by poverty and uncertainty. 

“Women and girls are facing many challenges, while families are also struggling with poverty and uncertainty. Despite this, women continue to support their families and look for ways to build a better future,” she says.

Before 2021, Organisation Y’s work centred on education, women’s leadership, advocacy and community development. Today, much of that work has been forced to narrow toward livelihoods and meeting women’s most immediate needs. What has not shifted, Khadija says, is the strength of Afghan women themselves — women who continue helping each other, sharing skills, and finding ways to sustain their families and communities. 

Khadija affirms that the term gender apartheid reflects the lived reality of many Afghan women, whose daily lives are constrained across nearly every domain — education, work, movement and participation in society — reshaping the lives of millions of women and girls. 

Funding under strain

Funding for Organisation Y has become increasingly limited and unpredictable, even as the needs of the communities it serves have grown. This has made sustaining long-term programmes, and reaching the number of women who need support, increasingly difficult. 

“Because of funding shortages, we have reduced the number of communities we serve and some of our activities. We know there are many more women who need support than we can currently reach,” Khadija says.

Her message to donors is direct: continue backing Afghan women-led organisations. “We know our communities, we understand their needs, and with flexible, long-term support we can continue making a real difference,” she says. 

A call to the international community

For Khadija, genuine solidarity means listening to Afghan women, trusting local organisations, and working alongside them as equal partners — including through moments when the situation grows more difficult, not only when it is easy to stay engaged. 

“Sometimes Afghan women are invited to speak, but they are not always included in decisions. Meaningful support means making sure Afghan women are part of shaping the solutions,” she says.

Afghan women share their perspectives through international meetings and online discussions, including spaces hosted by organisations such as Womankind Worldwide, where grassroots realities and the challenges facing communities are foregrounded. Social media has also become a significant channel for Afghan women to share their voices, though Khadija notes that access and meaningful participation remain constrained. 

While Afghan women’s voices are being heard more often in international and diplomatic forums, Khadija says this has not translated consistently into decision-making power. She calls for greater attention to the daily realities women face at the community level, arguing that grassroots organisations hold knowledge that should directly inform discussions about Afghanistan’s future. 

Hope through solidarity

What sustains Khadija in her work is the courage of Afghan women. “Every day I see women supporting their families, helping each other, and continuing to learn and work despite many challenges. Their strength inspires me to continue my own work,” she says. 

Her message to Afghan women and girls is one of persistence. “Do not lose hope. Continue learning whenever you can, support one another, and believe in your abilities. Afghan women have shown incredible strength and resilience, and every small step you take today helps build a better future for tomorrow,” she says. 

*Real names witheld to protect identity