Donors, Western publics and Afghan activists and their local allies should recognize that external support cannot in any way compensate for local political organization. Afghan women can only secure gender equality for the long run if they become a political force to be reckoned with domestically.
Donor support for women’s rights in Afghanistan since 2001 has produced many gains, principally in access to education, health, formal employment and political participation, alongside a certain momentum in legal protection against family violence and abuse. Yet it has also led to claims that aid programmes have failed to deal with deeper issues and contributed to an ‘NGO-ized’ women’s movement.