Following the collapse of the Republic and the sidelining of women in Afghanistan, numerous protests and advocacy efforts have taken place, including gatherings and international conferences aimed at supporting the rights of Afghan women. More than three years after the rise of the Islamic Emirate’s de-facto government and the continued restrictions on women, the question arises that “have these international meetings led to any substantial change?
From 2022 to the present, 22 international conferences have been held focused on the situation of women in Afghanistan. Two conferences took place in 2022, ten in 2023, nine in 2024, and one in the first month of the year 2025.
These meetings have been hosted by influential organizations such as the United Nations Security Council, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the European Parliament, Amnesty International, the Group of Seven (G7), the U.S. Congress Human Rights Commission, and various global governments and human rights institutions.
Notable gatherings have included the Oslo Talks in Norway in 2022, the United Nations Security Council meeting in New York City in 2023, a special European Parliament session in Brussels in 2024, and an Islamic leaders’ summit in Pakistan in 2025, where Afghan women’s fate was a key topic.
In addition to international organizations, Afghan women activists outside Afghanistan have also organized meetings to advocate for women’s rights. For instance, the Afghan Women’s Summit in Turkey in 2023, the Madrid Conference in Spain in 2024, attended by 50 Afghan female legal experts, and the three-day gathering in Tirana, the capital of Albania in 2023, with 130 Afghan women participating, are among the efforts made to uphold the rights of Afghan women.
However, the question remains that have these conferences been effective in resolving the issues Afghan women face? “If these conferences were truly impactful, we would have seen results by now. They have been useful for keeping voices alive, but they haven’t brought about real change,” women’s rights activist Mahbuba Seraj, said.
Shukria Barekzai, a former parliament representative in republic, believes that many of these meetings have been symbolic and that participants are often selected based on personal connections rather than true representation of Afghan women.
“It is difficult to say that all these conferences have been effective, comprehensive, and inclusive for all categories,” she stated. “Some of these meetings were necessary, but they have not yielded the desired results. Most of these conferences are informal, friendly, and based on personal relationships. There is no doubt about this; unfortunately, this is why they have not produced tangible outcomes.”
Nonetheless, some activists, such as Rahela Sediqi, see international meetings on women’s rights as essential and emphasize the need to continue the advocacy process. She believes that “change does not happen overnight, but these conferences, though slow, are moving toward justice and holding the interim government accountable.”
Since these international gatherings, 15 resolutions and official statements have been issued by the United Nations, Islamic countries, the International Labour Organization, Human Rights Watch, and other organizations. Key demands have included the immediate lifting of restrictions on women’s education and employment, criticism of the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice under the Islamic Emirate, warnings about the lack of normal interaction with the de-facto government, and emphasizing women’s roles in international discussions about Afghanistan’s future.
However, the Islamic Emirate has largely dismissed these resolutions, calling them ineffective. Zabihullah Mujahid, the spokesman for the de-facto government, said that “since official representatives of Afghanistan are not present in these meetings, their outcomes are not acceptable to the government.”
Despite the 22 international conferences and numerous statements supporting women’s rights, women in Afghanistan remain in a difficult situation. Many women’s rights activists see these conferences as lacking practical impact, while others argue that they have prevented Afghan women from being forgotten on the global stage.
Shahrzad Akbar, the former chairperson of Afghanistan’s Independent Human Rights Commission under the Republic government, says: “International conferences alone are not enough, but in some cases, important steps have been taken.”
As the results of these international meetings regarding women’s rights show, they have had no or little effect on the lives of Afghan women and have not been able to reduce the restrictions imposed on them.
