Abu Dhabi Roundtable | Dialogue on Women’s Rights in Afghanistan

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On 23 June 2025, Women’s Forum on Afghanistan (WFA) and Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy (AGDA) hosted a closed-door roundtable on the future of women’s rights in Afghanistan. The meeting brought together diplomats, policymakers, regional experts, and members of WFA to reflect on the worsening conditions facing women and girls in Afghanistan and to explore practical and political avenues for regional and international action.

The roundtable presented that Afghanistan’s crisis is not only national but moral and global. Speakers highlighted the systematic erasure of women from public life under Taliban rule as a form of gender apartheid, with devastating consequences for education, health, livelihoods, and mental health. Afghan women leaders briefed on realities on the ground, including the rise of gender-based violence, public punishments, and exclusion from aid, and appealed for urgent regional and international solidarity. Participants from inside Afghanistan shared their testimonies on life under the Taliban regime.

Participants stressed that the Gulf and wider region hold critical leverage on the Taliban regime to help the people of Afghanistan in shaping a better future. From conditioning engagement with the Taliban to supporting Afghan refugees with education and livelihoods in neighbouring states, regional actors were urged to turn expressions of solidarity into practical commitments. The UAE’s own experience in advancing women’s education, representation, and leadership was highlighted as a model of transformation with lessons for Afghanistan and beyond.

Diplomats emphasized that engagement with the Taliban cannot become an excuse for inaction, nor should humanitarian aid be compromised by political deals. Instead, principled, transparent, and women-cantered approaches must guide both regional diplomacy and humanitarian strategies. WFA members reaffirmed their mission to sustain international attention on Afghanistan, strengthen transnational advocacy, and ensure that Afghan women’s voices remain central in all dialogues about the country’s future, at any platform, any country.

This timely exchange in Abu Dhabi reinforced the importance of regional diplomacy and solidarity networks in keeping Afghan women’s rights at the forefront of international agendas. The dialogue is part of ongoing efforts to build a more cohesive and accountable strategy that aligns with regional commitments, strengthens women’s security, and ensures that the struggle for rights in Afghanistan remains a regional and global priority.

The UAE plays a critical role in the region and, through its Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) agenda, is opening a pathway for dialogue with Afghan women on their priorities for achieving durable peace. This includes respect for the fundamental rights of women and girls, meaningful political participation, and ensuring that women are consulted in all regional and global discussions concerning Afghanistan. WFA, with its extensive network inside Afghanistan, across diverse ethnic and religious groups, and in the diaspora, together with this platform, can help ensure inclusivity and amplify Afghan women’s voices. The UAE’s engagement can be pivotal in advancing these goals.

WFA is thankful to AGDA for this meaningful engagement and is looking forward to continuing our collaboration.