Afghan Women's Support Forum

BBC visited a mental health centre that is struggling to cope with the number of patients Mahjooba Nowrouzi BBC Afghan Service, in Kabul High on a hill in the west of the Afghan capital, Kabul, behind a steel gate topped with barbed wire, lies a place few locals speak of, and even fewer visit. The […]

7 August 2025 Women The international community must provide greater support to Afghan women and girl returnees from Iran and Pakistan who face increased risk of impoverishment, early marriage and growing threats to their rights and safety.   UN Women – which champions gender empowerment and equality – alongside the international humanitarian agency CARE International and partners, issued […]

The Taliban is increasingly banning women from the public sphere, but they refuse to give up on their dreams. 6/8/24 – THE INDEPENDANT For Sodaba, like countless other Afghan women, opportunities evaporated under the Taliban‘s tightening grip on their lives. Since seizing power in Afghanistan in 2021, the Taliban has systematically imposed a sweeping array of restrictions on women, barring them […]

Those who fled Afghanistan fearing gender apartheid have been forced back to live in a society in which, without a male ‘guardian’, they cannot work or rent a home, leaving them in poverty and open to abuse. Read original post in THE GUARDIAN and ZEN TIMES – 4/8/25 https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2025/aug/04/afghan-women-refugees-iran-taliban-gender-rights-poverty-abuse Safia* thought she had finally found […]

Organised by The Rahela Trust Come join us at The Riverview Room, Scott House, 23 Circus Road West, London, SW11 8EH for a night of creativity and giving back! Tue, 29 Jul 2025 17:00 – 22:00 BST Our Art Exhibition & Fundraiser will feature amazing works of art from talented artists, all for a good […]

The bestselling British author Kate Mosse shares her inspiring email exchange with a brave female writer living under Afghanistan’s brutal regime When the British novelist Kate Mosse taught an online class to female writers in Kabul last November, organised by the UK-based organisation Untold Narratives, she couldn’t stop thinking about how different their lives were […]

1 May 2025 – UN News Global perspective Human stories Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers have followed through on decrees aimed at erasing women from public life in the country and restricting their freedom of movement, the UN mission to the country (UNAMA) said in its latest human rights report published on Thursday covering the first quarter of 2025. […]

The Association of Afghan Healthcare Professionals UK warmly invites you to “Health, Hope and Heritage” — a heartfelt celebration of community, culture, and care. This special evening brings together Afghan healthcare professionals, students, and families to honour the resilience of our people, the strength of our heritage, and the hope we carry into the future. […]

Join us for a groundbreaking and transformative gathering of Afghan women, visionary scholars, policymakers, and powerful activists as we confront challenges, break barriers, and shape an unshakable future for women’s education, strength, justice, and unstoppable leadership. And celebrate The Rahela Trust’s 10th Anniversary. To get more information about The Rahela Trust – and to register […]

The situation in Afghanistan worsened in 2024 as the Taliban authorities intensified their crackdown on human rights, particularly against women and girls. Afghanistan remained the only country where girls and women were banned from secondary and university education, while also facing significant barriers to employment and freedom of movement, assembly, and speech. The Taliban also […]

By Reuters January 20, 20257:53 AM GMTU KABUL, Jan 20 (Reuters) – The Taliban’s acting deputy foreign minister called on his senior leadership to open schools for Afghan girls, among the strongest public rebukes of a policy that has contributed to the international isolation of its rulers. Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanekzai, who previously led a team […]

Malala Yousafzai has urged Muslim leaders to challenge the Taliban government in Afghanistan and its repressive policies for girls and women. “Simply put, the Taliban in Afghanistan do not see women as human beings,” she told an international summit hosted by Pakistan on girls education in Islamic countries. Ms Yousafzai told Muslim leaders there was […]

Book launch – January 17th, 2025. Ten women from Afghanistan and Iran share their ideas, emotions, desires and worldviews with lovers of poetry.

The Rahela Trust is dedicated to providing university and secondary school scholarships, mentorship, and access to both local and global professional networks to disadvantaged and talented Afghan women from rural areas. These women are committed to building a future where women are active participants and leaders in society. The Rahela Trust – for more information […]

BBC NEWS 3rd December 2024 Flora Drury and Turpekai Gharanai Women training as midwives and nurses in Afghanistan have told the BBC they were ordered not to return to classes in the morning – effectively closing off their last route to further education in the country. Five separate institutions across Afghanistan have also confirmed to […]

Draconian new laws allow mass incarceration of women and children forced to beg because of work ban THE GUARDIAN Destitute Afghan women arrested for begging under draconian new Taliban laws have spoken of “brutal” rapes and beatings in detention. Over the past few months, many women said they had been targeted by Taliban officials and detained under anti-begging […]

Amber Sandhu & Kulsum Hafeji BBC Newsbeat A bullet failed to silence her, now Malala Yousafzai is lending her voice to the women of Afghanistan. In just a few years since the Taliban retook control of the country, women’s rights have been eroded to the point where even singing is banned. Malala has a personal […]

The United Nations Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF) has launched its latest Call for Proposals in Afghanistan.  This Call for Proposals provides programmatic and institutional funding opportunities for local organisations in Afghanistan working to enhance the protection of women and girls and promote the participation and leadership of women in humanitarian crisis and response. This call will fund qualifying local civil society organisations in Afghanistan through […]

The Wilson Center’s Middle East Program (MEP) is pleased to host a closed, work-in-progress screening of the documentary “School for Girls.” To book see the live link HERE. Overview The Wilson Center’s Middle East Program (MEP),  the Middle East Women’s Initiative (MEWI), and the South Asia Institute is pleased to host a closed, work-in-progress screening […]