The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has renewed calls for women’s their meaningful participation in public life, marking the 25th anniversary of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security.
“In Afghanistan, the principles of Resolution 1325 remain more relevant than ever,” said Georgette Gagnon, Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General and Officer-in-Charge of UNAMA. “Afghan women have long demonstrated extraordinary resilience, leadership, and courage in the face of extreme adversity.”
Adopted in 2000, the resolution was the first to recognize the crucial role of women in preventing and resolving conflict, as well as in peacebuilding, humanitarian response, and post-conflict recovery. UNAMA said the resolution remains a foundational tool for promoting women’s rights and must be upheld, especially in Afghanistan, where women’s access to education, employment, and political participation has been severely curtailed.
Despite the current restrictions, UNAMA highlighted that Afghan women continue to lead their communities, support families, deliver aid, educate children, and mediate local disputes. However, their exclusion from formal political processes and public life remains a core concern.
“Afghan women continue to bear the disproportionate impact of conflict, exclusion, and the erosion of their fundamental human rights,” Gagnon said.
The UN mission urged the Taliban to honor international obligations and restore women’s full participation in political, economic, and social life. It also called on the international community to stand firm in supporting women-led initiatives and to resist the normalization of a governance model that sidelines half the population.
UNAMA’s message comes at a time when international attention toward Afghanistan has waned, and funding for both humanitarian operations and civil society—especially women-led groups—has sharply declined. The mission warned that Afghanistan’s long-term stability and global legitimacy depend on the full inclusion of women in shaping its future.
