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By Mitra Tanomand
License: RWI report
The collapse of women’s shelters in Afghanistan is not just a logistical breakdown; it is a structural and ethical failure with life-threatening consequences. Rebuilding protection systems for women and girls must begin now, discreetly, locally, and based on survivor agency and frontline trust. The 2021 shutdown of Women’s Protection Centres (WPCs), alongside the withdrawal of NGOs and donors, created a devastating gap in the protection infrastructure, erasing vital pathways to safety, justice, and recovery for Afghanistan’s most vulnerable women and girls. This humanitarian collapse demands urgent action from donors, humanitarian actors, and Afghan civil society: fund discreet, community-based safe houses; support women-led frontline organisations; and restore survivor-centred protection systems that are locally informed and accountable.
Key words: Afghanistan; women’s shelters; protection systems; women and girls; withdrawal of NGOs and donors; humanitarian collapse; urgent action