UNDP's area-based development approach proves that, despite all limitations, women can be at the heart of community resilience and recovery in Afghanistan.

Despite facing bans on public speaking, harsh mobility restrictions, and a strictly enforced dress code, Afghan women are finding ways to voice their needs. With the support of UNDP, together with the Government of Japan and our core partners, they are creating opportunities to earn money, access healthcare and clean water, and participate in community decision-making.

At the 69^th session of the Commission on the Status of Women in March that commemorated the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, Member States adopted a bold Political Declaration. They recommitted to upholding human rights and freedom for women and girls, everywhere.

And yet, Afghan women continue to face constraints that the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action aimed to erase 30 years ago. 

Global action towards eliminating these constraints is needed more than ever. 

The multilateral cooperation spearheaded by UNDP and its partners offers an essential bridge to global support for women in Afghanistan. 

In 2024, UNDP and its partners rehabilitated over 60 community facilities, ensuring access to clean water and providing safe shelter to women across 21 rural provinces. 

At every planning stage, UNDP partnered with women community members who influenced decisions around site selection and project management. This ensured that the recovery projects meet women’s needs and empower them while benefiting the community. 

Below shows how women’s voices are essential in shaping development solutions —  from building local water systems, tackling gender-based violence, and increasing women’s participation in community decision-making.

Local water systems are bringing hope and relief to women

Women and children are often responsible for collecting water for their family. They walk miles every day, leaving little time to make money or learn new skills. To make more time for women to spend on activities that empower them, UNDP built water networks and brought water sources closer.

"Before, we had to walk miles to fetch water, which took hours that could have been spent on learning new skills or earning money,” recalls Jaynab*, 38-year-old mother from Paktiya, a rural southeastern province. “Now, we use that time to attend literacy class organized in our village.”

She, along with other southeastern residents like Ghazala, 26, see the water network not just as a practical convenience bringing access to clean water, but also a symbol of possibility for their lives.

“[The weir] holds our hopes as well as the water,” states Ghazala.

Communities working together to reduce gender-based violence risks 

Meanwhile, in the north, where natural resources are scarce and poverty rates high, women have expressed concern that the unequal distribution of water has often led to communal conflicts and sometimes triggered forced marriage of daughters  —  even children — a form of gender-based violence. 

"Unequal distribution of water to irrigate our lands always causes conflict in our village. This conflict sometimes leads to the loss of lives of our male family members,” shares Fariha, a mother with three daughters in Doshi, a rural district. “And when killing occurs, a girl from the family responsible for the killing is often forced into marriage as compensation. This tradition still worries us as mothers, since it threatens the entire lives of our daughters.” 

To address this challenge prioritized by the community, UNDP helped distribute water more equitably through local irrigation, while addressing the root causes of communal conflicts.

Similarly, girls are at increased risk when crises hit. In Ghor province, for instance, where heavy floods damaged houses, some families considered coping with the reduced safe space by offering their daughters away in marriage. 

“When our homes were damaged, we had no space for changing our clothes,” recalls Jubaida, a mother in Ghor. “If we don’t have adequate safe room for sleeping, I might need to give my 15-year-old daughter away in marriage. I worry for my young daughter.”

These dilemmas expressed by mothers led to the community’s decision to prioritize safe shelters for women. 

Women’s leadership in community resilience

Women’s participation in decision-making doesn’t stop when a project is identified or completed. In Baghlan province, Northern Afghanistan, a protective wall was built to shield the land from floods and prevent streets from becoming clogged with silt after flash floods. Following this improvement, women in the community gathered to discuss ways to keep the roads clean and safe so children can get to school.

They organized peer support groups to be better prepared for future disasters and establish a feedback mechanism for the shelters. These women’s groups also shed light on their needs, including opportunities for learning, connecting, and earning.

In an increasingly isolating environment, such spaces where women come together and have their voices heard improve their mental health and empower positive change for the community.

Support for Afghan women more important than ever

These stories show that women in Afghanistan know best what they want. What they need from the international community are opportunities to rebuild their lives, invest in self-development, improve their communities, and most importantly, have a say in decisions that affect their lives. 

By partnering with women on community recovery projects, UNDP ensured that their voices are heard. 

But we cannot stop here. 

We must build on what we have achieved, together with our partners, and scale solutions guided by the leadership of women in Afghanistan.

* All names appearing in this article have been changed.