As we commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, the plight of Afghan women and girls stands as a stark reminder of our collective struggle for gender equality. For over three years, the Taliban’s systematic repression has stripped Afghan women and girls of their fundamental rights, including the right to education, barring them from secondary and higher education. This has not only stifled their individual potential but has also jeopardized Afghanistan’s long-term peace, security, and development.

The Beijing Declaration affirms that education is a cornerstone for gender equality, poverty eradication, and sustainable development, calling for the removal of systemic barriers that prevent girls from learning. Likewise, the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) agenda underscores that sustainable peace is impossible without the full, equal, and meaningful participation of women in all aspects of society. The deliberate exclusion of Afghan women and girls from education and public life is not just a violation of their rights—it is a grave threat to Afghanistan’s security and stability and a dangerous precedent for gender equality worldwide.

This milestone anniversary offers a critical moment for global action. The international community must reaffirm its commitment to both the Beijing Declaration and the WPS agenda, and ensuring their support for Afghan women and girls to reclaim their fundamental rights.

Event Overview

This high-level side event will underscore the vital role of women’s participation in fostering stability, peace, and security in Afghanistan. Through a panel discussion featuring Afghan women leaders, policymakers, and peace and security experts, the event will highlight how the systematic exclusion of women from the Afghan society have severe effect not in their lives, but in the generations of young girls and boys. It will also explore pathways to ensuring Afghan women’s access to education .

Panel Discussion: A Generation at Risk – Afghan Women’s Struggle for Stability and Peace

This panel will bring together prominent Afghan women leaders, peace advocates, and WPS experts to:

• Discussion on the impact of Taliban policies on Afghan women’s rights and their ability to contribute to stability and peace.
• Explore the direct link between women’s participation and Afghanistan’s long-term security and governance.
• Highlight the challenges on access to education and ways to overcome and mitigating these barriers.
• Provide concrete recommendations for international actors to support Afghan women’s effort to education.

This event will serve as a platform to galvanize policy commitments, funding, and advocacy to uphold Afghan women’s rights, amplify their voices, and ensure their future remains a priority on the global agenda.