The July 2025 UN General Assembly resolution acknowledges Afghan women’s resilience under the Taliban’s four years of systemic gender-based oppression. The resolution urges the equitable and substantive involvement of women and girls, reversing discriminatory measures. It reaffirms that protecting women’s rights is fundamental to Afghanistan’s stability, growth, and lasting peace. Yet Afghanistan, the world’s second-widest gender gap country, remains the only nation where girls over 12 are denied access to education.
Systemic Gender-Based Oppression in Afghanistan
“The most severe women’s rights crisis in the world is being normalized,” underscored Susan Ferguson, UN Women’s Representative in Afghanistan, in August 2025. Her statement carried weight as, in July 2024, the Taliban government enacted the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice (PVPV) Law, which requires women to be accompanied by a male guardian when traveling and categorizes women’s voices as awrah, effectively marginalizing them from public life.
The Afghanistan Gender Index 2024 highlights the extent of repression: 97% of women are adversely affected by the restrictions on female NGO workers. About 78% of young women are excluded from education and employment. The current restrictions are significantly shaping women’s daily lives. For the 21 million Afghan women, these limitations are more than a policy failure. It reflects a reality of silencing, marginalisation, which they persistently challenge despite significant obstacles.
The UNGA Resolution: A Call for Afghan Women’s Rights
The UNGA Resolution on “The situation in Afghanistan” (A/79/L.100), adopted on 29 July 2025, with 116 votes in favor, two opposed, and 12 withheld votes, shows global consensus for women’s rights in Afghanistan.
Key findings of the resolution:
• Taliban restrictions on Afghan women working with local NGOs and the United Nations have severely affected the relief aid, prompting the UN to appeal for their swift lifting.
• Declares that women’s education is an essential human right, consistent with Islamic principles and in accordance with the Islamabad Declaration on Girls’ Education in Muslim Communities.
• Donor countries are urged to provide sustained financial assistance, while humanitarian organizations must be allowed to work autonomously.
• Encourage the Taliban to uphold its obligations towards CEDAW and the Convention on the Rights of the Child to guarantee gender equality.
• The Resolution recalls the OIC Plan of Action for the Advancement of Women, affirming its commitment to promoting women’s participation in decision-making and securing equal access to women’s education and financial opportunities.
Contrasting Global Responses to the Resolution
The July 2025 resolution elicited mixed reactions across the global community. Germany and the European Union, supportive of the resolution, expressed concerns over the violation of women’s rights and stressed the necessity for the global community to remain committed to Afghan women. The EU highlighted the negative impacts of the PVPV( so-called morality law) and urged the Taliban to comply with UN Security Council Resolution 2593. Germany’s UN Ambassador, Antje Leendertse, while delivering the draft resolution, stressed that Afghan women mourning losses, or restricted to homes, have not been forgotten.
While Several actors highlighted ongoing Afghan challenges, others raised objections to the resolution. According to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), reduced donor support was compromising critical humanitarian aid nationwide. China requested that humanitarian assistance be restored, but only if sanctions were lifted and Afghan assets unfrozen so the economy could revive. India withheld its vote, asserting that the resolution did not put forward any new meaningful actions to tackle Afghanistan’s deepening humanitarian crises. Pakistan backed the resolution but raised concerns about not recognizing the Taliban as “de facto authorities”, arguing that such negligence ignored the Afghanistan ground realities.
UN Resolution Adopted Despite US Objections
US representative Jonathan Shrier objected to the resolution, noting that discussions with the Taliban have failed to achieve meaningful change in Afghanistan. He highlighted that the US has already carried the burden of supporting Afghanistan and will no longer support the Taliban. Despite U.S. opposition, this resolution was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly, with strong global backing, showing that the world stands for the Afghan women’s rights. Meanwhile, Global tensions over Afghanistan could deepen, as Russia became the first country to officially recognise the Taliban regime on 3 July 2025.
Refugees, Funding Crisis, and Women Returnees
The UN General Assembly’s July 2025 resolution extended appreciation to states accommodating Afghan refugees, notably Iran and Pakistan, which constantly share the greatest Afghan refugee burden at the time. This recognition shows how important it is to protect refugees for the stability of the region, as millions are still displaced. However, the situation on the ground is significantly more concerning.
In 2025, Pakistan and Iran forcibly returned 1.7 million Afghans, 30% of whom were women. The problem arises because most women refugees lack legal documentation, which prevents them from securing shelter and humanitarian assistance. At border checkpoints, women faced increased risks of sexual assault and early marriage.
Besides these issues, foreign funding is steadily declining. The 2025 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan for Afghanistan aims to secure 2.4 billion dollars to support nearly 17 million individuals in Afghanistan, but as of July, it has received only 22 percent of the necessary funding. Humanitarian organizations caution that reductions in funding are harming women-led NGOs, thereby placing Afghan women in a vulnerable position.
“Declining humanitarian funding disproportionately impacts women and girls” by Capucine Tibi/Ground Truth Solutions, licensed by CC BY-ND 4.0.
Women’s Resistance and UN Women’s Role
UN Women is dedicated to supporting 200 Afghan women-led organisations. It works on a “by women, for women” strategy to provide safe environments and psychological assistance, and has assisted 5,100 women entrepreneurs in launching or expanding their businesses. Its flagship program, “Rebuilding the Women’s Movement” in Afghanistan, is a practical example of the UN’s efforts towards women’s prosperity, supporting 140 grassroots women’s groups across all 34 provinces. Despite these efforts, women continue to face resultant gender-based challenges. At the same time, 40 percent of Afghan women still envision a future where equality can be achieved, highlighting their resilience and the essential role of global support.
Way Forward for Afghan Women
The resolution on the situation in Afghanistan is the reflection of global consensus on women’s rights, but it’s not legally binding. Therefore, True progress needs consistent funding and a clear stand against the ongoing discrimination. Women are essential in humanitarian work, yet restrictions on local women-led NGOs have exaggerated the situation.
Afghan women continue to resist regardless of strict constraints, working on the frontlines as humanitarian workers and reporters, while strengthening networks and raising their voices globally. Mehrgan, a woman’s leader from Kunduz, says,
“I will continue to stand strong, as a woman, supporting other Afghan women.”
Her statement captures the essence of resilience that keeps going even as funding decreases. The struggle of Afghan women is about global human rights, and helping them is a responsibility shared by the world.
From Resolution to Action: Key Recommendations
To implement the resolution, the following measures are essential to guarantee Afghan women’s rights:
• Establish strong and independent global mechanisms to evaluate and ensure the Taliban’s adherence to UN commitments on women’s rights.
• Strengthen UN partnerships with regional alliances such as the OIC and SAARC to monitor humanitarian assistance for vulnerable populations in Afghanistan, especially women.
• Provide consistent and adaptable funding for women-led organisations so they can continue their grassroots programs despite restrictions.
• Guarantee that at least 30 % of aid is dedicated towards gender equality, preventing the marginalisation of women in Afghanistan.
• Refrain from programs and partnerships that could legitimise the discrimination policies against women.
• Gender equality must be treated as a core element of all humanitarian efforts, including schooling, medical care, and governance.
Conclusion:
The UN General Assembly’s July 2025 resolution can serve as the global voice for Afghan women’s rights. It carries legal and moral weight, acting as a cornerstone to overcome restrictions on women’s independence and ensuring consistent foreign aid. The resolution marks a transformative moment in the development of International human rights, feminism, and gender equality by highlighting the critical situation of Afghan women and their pursuit of rights.
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The views and opinions expressed in this article/paper are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the editorial position of Paradigm Shift.
Maryam Iftikhar completed her degree in International Relations at Kinnaird College for Women University, Lahore and is passionate about global politics, international law, and climate justice.