Commons Sense

House of Commons · Adjournment Debate

Rights of Women and Girls Afghanistan 2026-01-05

05 January 2026 · 7 other contributors

Opened by Alice Macdonald Lab/Co-op Norwich North

Foreign AffairsWomen & Equalities

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Alice Macdonald raised concerns about rights of women and girls afghanistan 2026-01-05 in the House of Commons. A government minister responded. Other MPs also contributed.

Key points

  • Concerns raised about the situation for women and girls in Afghanistan are catastrophic since the Taliban took power in 2021.
  • Afghan women face restrictions on education beyond primary level, employment opportunities, and freedom of movement.
  • The UK Government have condemned the Taliban's treatment of women and girls and urge them to reverse their decrees.

How the debate unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.

Opened the debate

Alice Macdonald Lab/Co-op Norwich North

I am pleased to bring forward this debate on Government support for the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan because, put simply, the situation for women and girls there is catastrophic. Since coming to power in 2021, the Taliban have launched an all-out attack on women, systematically stripping away their economic, political and social rights. Afghan women continue to fight for their rights despite enduring hardships. The systematic erasure of women's rights includes no right to education post-primary school, employment, or travel alone. Education is banned beyond primary level, denying 1.5 million girls secondary education. Employment has been restricted, with women confined to home roles. Access to healthcare and midwife training are limited. Food insecurity affects 1.4 million people; 4.2 million are internally displaced, mostly due to returnees from Iran and Pakistan. The ban on internet access further isolates women.

Other contributors (7)
  • Jim Shannon DUP Strangford

    Over 37,200 people have been resettled in the UK through Government-sponsored schemes; targeting demographics is crucial to ensure safe and legal pathways for vulnerable groups, especially women.

  • Wendy Chamberlain LD North East Fife

    Support for Afghan women and girls must include training more women as midwives to improve maternal outcomes.

  • Emily Darlington Lab Milton Keynes Central

    Afghan evacuees, including professionals like judges, lawyers, and doctors, fear their younger sisters will never experience education or job opportunities under the Taliban regime.

  • Wendy Chamberlain Lab North East Fife

    I thank the hon. Lady for giving way again. She is speaking powerfully about aid and contributions. May I briefly mention the global polio eradication initiative? Polio could be eradicated in the next three years, which would be a historic milestone for the world, but to do that the UK Government need to commit £50 million a year to the initiative for the next two years.

  • James Naish Lab Rushcliffe

    Earlier, my hon. Friend mentioned Fawzia Koofi, who spoke to the International Development Committee. In her evidence, she told us that “the main Taliban agenda is women.” Does my hon. Friend agree that that point, and the point that she is making, demonstrate why the UK Government and our international allies must stand and promote the agenda that she is describing?

  • Calvin Bailey Lab Leyton and Wanstead

    I thank my hon. Friend for her important and powerful speech and for giving voice to the plight of Afghan women. Does she agree that recognition of gender apartheid is an essential part of our foreign policy?

  • Falconer Lab Wansbeck

    The work of the Linda Norgrove Foundation in bringing Afghan female medical students to Scottish universities is commendable. There should be a pipeline for more such scholars and support for their return to Afghanistan.

Government Response

Government Minister

I am grateful to my hon. Friend the Member for Norwich North (Alice Macdonald) for securing this debate. She set out the situation well, noting that Afghanistan is now one of the worst places in the world to be a woman... The UK Government have consistently condemned the Taliban’s treatment of women and girls. Senior officials travel regularly to Kabul, most recently in December, to urge the Taliban to reverse their barbaric decrees. On every visit, the treatment of women and girls is raised... We are providing support to returnees from Iran to Afghanistan, and that support is mostly funnelled through the International Organisation for Migration. We have allocated over £150 million this financial year for lifesaving aid in Afghanistan, ensuring at least half of the beneficiaries are women and girls. We hosted a food security and nutrition conference last November to address hardships facing Afghan families. We support the UN special rapporteur on Afghanistan and maintain regular engagement with Afghan women. The UK special envoy to Afghanistan regularly meets Afghan women both in diaspora and home country to better understand their needs and how we can assist them. We participated in the Hear Us conference led by Afghan women demanding accountability for Taliban human rights abuses. Dr Sima Samar, an Afghan human rights activist, highlighted the appalling situation for women and girls at the launch of the All In campaign against violence. I have met many NGOs, activists, campaigners, and politicians who advocate for a better future for Afghan women and girls. We will continue to urge the Taliban to reverse their decrees and ensure peace, security, and prosperity with women playing an essential role.

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