Every year on 8th March, International Women's Day celebrates the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women - while also marking a call to action for accelerating gender equality.
In 2025, Afghanistan is still one of the hardest places in the world to be a woman. The ongoing humanitarian crisis means that more than half of the population - 22.5 million people - need emergency support to survive. And this crisis is being felt most acutely felt by Afghan women, as they face the continued erosion of their basic freedoms amidst this humanitarian emergency, which makes it harder to seek employment, gain support and provide for their families.
Decades of research, and our own experience, shows that when women can access the support they need, societies become more inclusive, prosperous, and strong. In Afghanistan, alongside the resilient and resourceful women and men we work with, we're still working to make this happen. Read stories from our work below, and find out how you can get involved in our appeal.
Donate today to support Afghan women facing exclusion, poverty and food insecurity to build brighter futures for themselves and their families. Read more
As a widowed mother living with a disability, Elham is the sole breadwinner for her family - but she was struggling to find employment. Now, she is rearing goats and running a thriving business making butter and qoroot from their milk. Read more
"We sew collars, handkerchiefs, headscarves with flower patterns, bedding for children, and anything else that customers order." Read more
A sobering 82% of Afghan women have reported worsening feelings of anxiety, isolation and depression in 2024, a figure only set to worsen as women become increasingly restricted from public life. Read more
We are living in exceptionally distressing times, where the state of the world can leave us overwhelmed and hopeless. But as the Afghan saying goes, Qatra qatra darya maisha—"Drop by drop, a river is made." Every action, no matter how small, contributes to a larger, meaningful force of change. Read more
Afghanaid forms and supports women's self-help groups across Afghanistan to help women come together, learn new skills and access economic opportunity. Find out more about the transformative power of these groups. Read more