As someone from the Iranian diaspora, I have often reflected on how deeply political decisions can shape the lives of ordinary people, particularly women. Growing up with a connection to Iranian culture and history, I have come to understand that independence is not something every woman can take for granted. It is something many women spend years fighting to achieve. Watching Afghan women’s independence disappear in neighbouring Afghanistan over the past five years has reminded me just how quickly it can be lost.
Since the Taliban returned to power in August 2021, the lives of Afghan women and girls have changed dramatically.
How Afghan Women’s Independence Was Lost
Opportunities that once offered a path toward independence, including education, employment, and participation in public life, have become increasingly restricted. For many women, the ability to earn a living, make decisions about their futures, or simply move freely has been taken away. What troubles me most is not only the loss of these opportunities, but the psychological impact of being forced to surrender a life that took years to build.
Imagine being a young woman who worked tirelessly to complete her education, found employment, and finally experienced the dignity of financial independence. Perhaps she rented her own apartment, supported her family, or dreamed of starting a business. Now imagine losing her income, her home, and her freedom to make even the simplest decisions. Returning to her parents’ house might offer shelter, but it can also represent the painful loss of an independence she once believed was secure.
Deportation Adds Another Layer of Harm
For Afghan women who sought refuge in Iran, this uncertainty has become even more frightening. In July 2025, the Malala Fund reported that more than 250,000 Afghan refugees had been deported from Iran in a matter of weeks, including women and girls who had spent years building lives outside Afghanistan. By December 2025, Amnesty International reported that Iran and Pakistan had expelled more than 2.6 million people to Afghanistan that year, approximately 60% of whom were women and children.
These figures are difficult to comprehend. Behind every number is a person whose future has been interrupted. A mother who fears for her daughter’s education. A young professional who can no longer pursue her career. A woman who must once again depend on relatives for financial security.
Research published by Oxford’s Border Criminologies in February 2026 further examines how deportation can expose Afghan women to gender-specific harms. It reminds us that displacement is not simply about crossing a border. It can mean losing one’s community, economic security, personal autonomy, and sense of belonging.
Why Financial Independence Matters for Women’s Wellbeing
I believe we sometimes underestimate what financial independence means to a woman’s emotional wellbeing. Having an income is not only about paying bills. It is about having choices, confidence, and a voice in decisions that affect one’s life. When those choices disappear, the consequences can extend far beyond economic hardship. They can affect self-worth, mental health, and the ability to imagine a hopeful future.
Yet I also believe that losing independence does not mean losing the capacity to rebuild it.
How OMID Helps Women Rebuild
This is where OMID Foundation’s work becomes so important. Through trauma recovery, education, and vocational training, and life-skills development, OMID helps vulnerable women and girls rebuild confidence and discover new possibilities. Its work with Afghan women and refugee communities recognizes that recovery requires more than immediate assistance. It requires emotional support, practical opportunities, and the belief that every woman deserves control over her future.
How You Can Help
You can help. By supporting OMID Foundation, sharing these women’s stories, contributing to educational opportunities, or simply raising awareness, you can become part of a wider effort to restore hope and dignity.
As someone connected to the Iranian diaspora, I cannot look at the experiences of Afghan women as distant tragedies. Our histories, languages, and communities are deeply intertwined. Their struggles deserve our attention, but so do their ambitions, talents, and determination.
Because every woman deserves more than a place to survive. She deserves the freedom to build a life of her own.
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Sources
- Malala Fund, July 2025: Iran is deporting thousands of women and girls back into the Taliban’s gender apartheid
- Amnesty International, December 2025: Afghanistan: Forced returns to Taliban rule must end
- Oxford Border Criminologies, February 2026: Deportation and gendered violence: Afghan women’s experiences