On International Women’s Day, the United Nations in Afghanistan on Saturday called for the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) to lift restrictions, which it said, continue to strip women and girls of their fundamental rights. It also called on Member States to translate solidarity into action—by amplifying Afghan women’s voices, supporting their leadership, and investing in their resilience and future.

This year’s theme, “For ALL Women and Girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment”, is a stark reminder of the reality in Afghanistan, where women and girls face systematic exclusion from education, employment, and public life. These restrictions are not only violations of human rights but also barriers to Afghanistan’s progress, deepening poverty and isolation for millions, UNAMA said in a statement.

“Despite extraordinary challenges, Afghan women continue to lead, build, and support their communities. They provide life-saving health and protection services, run businesses and civil society organizations, and advocate tirelessly for their rights. Placing them at the center of solutions to current and emerging challenges is essential. Restoring their rights to learn and work would transform their lives, communities, and Afghanistan’s future for the benefit of all.” said Roza Otunbayeva, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General and head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).

“The United Nations in Afghanistan stands in full solidarity with the women and girls of Afghanistan and is united in condemning the progressive erasure of women and girls from public life. We will continue to do everything in our power to invest in the resilience and leadership of Afghan women and girls, who are the key to a prosperous and inclusive Afghanistan,” Otunbayeva said.

Afghan women have made their demands to the international community clear. These include to advocate for the restoration of their rights and freedoms and to keep their situation on the global agenda; ensure their representation at every table where decisions about their country’s future are being made; sustain critical funding for services and life-saving assistance; and invest in programmes that support women’s leadership and economic empowerment, according to UNAMA.

“We cannot accept a future for Afghan women and girls that we would never tolerate for women anywhere else. Our response to their erasure from public life is a test of our commitment to women and girls everywhere. We must stand with Afghan women as if our own lives depend on it. Because they do.” said Alison Davidian, Special Representative for UN Women Afghanistan.

“The UN has stayed and delivered in Afghanistan and will continue to do so, working alongside its partners to safeguard the rights of all Afghans,” Davidian said.

The United Nations has repeatedly called on the Islamic Emirate to lift the restrictions on women and girls, but the Islamic Emirate has said that the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan are protected according to Sharia.

Pakistan’s interior ministry on Friday asked all “illegal foreigners” and Afghan Citizen Card holders to leave the country before March 31, warning they would otherwise be deported from April 1.

Islamabad has in the past blamed militant attacks and crimes on Afghan citizens, who form the largest portion of migrants in the country. Kabul has rejected the accusations.

“Pakistan has been a gracious host and continues to fulfil its commitments and obligations as a responsible state,” the country’s interior ministry said in a statement, Reuters reported. “It is reiterated that individuals staying in Pakistan will have to fulfil all legal formalities.”

Pakistan launched its repatriation drive of foreign citizens, most of whom are Afghan, in 2023, but had said they were first focusing on foreigners with no legal documentation.

More than 800,000 Afghans hold an Afghan Citizen Card in Pakistan, according to U.N. data. Another roughly 1.3 million are formally registered with the Pakistan government and hold a separate Proof of Residence card. The statement did not specify how PoR holders would be affected.

The U.N. says that more than 800,000 Afghans have returned to Afghanistan from Pakistan since the repatriation drive began and that in total Pakistan hosted around 2.8 million Afghan refugees who crossed the border during 40 years of conflict in their homeland.

Among those are tens of thousands of Afghans in the process for resettlement to the United States and other Western nations following their withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 as the Islamic Emirate took over.

The Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), in its 12th annual Global Terrorism Index 2025 report, stated that Afghanistan has not ranked among the top five countries most impacted by terrorism for the second consecutive year, instead placing ninth.

The report noted: “Afghanistan has dropped out of the top five most terrorism-affected nations for the second year in a row, marking its highest improvement since the index’s inception.”

According to the rankings, Burkina Faso and Pakistan occupied the first and second positions in 2024. 

The report highlighted that terrorism levels in Afghanistan have “significantly declined” since the Islamic Emirate’s takeover, with the new rulers maintaining “internal stability.”

Meanwhile, IEA’s spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid reaffirmed “full security guarantees” for citizens and stressed that Afghan soil “poses no threat to any country.” 

“The security we currently have is a major achievement for Afghans. However, minor cases still occur, which affect all nations—such issues exist in every country,” Mujahid said.

The report identified ISKP as the deadliest group in Afghanistan, responsible for one-fifth of all attacks in 2024. It also noted deteriorating relations between the Islamic Emirate and Pakistan due to tensions over the Durand Line and Pakistani airstrikes targeting Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) hideouts in Afghanistan.