Political Social Work in Afghanistan: A Courageous Response to Contemporary Social Issues

Abstract

In the wake of persistent conflict, socio-political instability, gender-based violence (GBV), environmental disasters, and deteriorating human rights conditions, Afghanistan represents a critical context for examining the role of political social work. This article explores how political social work, rooted in a commitment to justice, human rights, and emancipatory practice, can respond more effectively to contemporary social issues in Afghanistan. Drawing on historical resistance movements, the evolving nature of activism, and the need for a revitalized political lens, the discussion highlights the intersections between political engagement and social work in the Afghan context. The article argues for a paradigm shift that integrates advocacy, resistance, and structural change as central components of social work practice.

Keywords: Political social work, Afghanistan, social justice, human rights, gender-based violence, advocacy, emancipatory practice, resistance, authoritarianism, social movements, fragile states, structural oppression

1. Reclaiming Social Work’s Political Mandate in Afghanistan

Afghanistan’s political landscape has been shaped by ongoing conflict, foreign interventions, and entrenched patriarchal and tribal systems. From the Soviet invasion in 1979 to the U.S.-led occupation beginning in 2001 and the Taliban’s return in 2021, the country has endured chronic instability and institutional collapse, exacerbating poverty, displacement, GBV, and the exclusion of women and minorities (UN, 2022). In this volatile environment, traditional social work focused on individual care and apolitical service provision proves inadequate. Globally, social work is being tested by crises such as climate change, authoritarianism, mental health epidemics, and rising socio-economic inequality (Garrett, 2022). In Afghanistan, where dissent is suppressed and institutional accountability is lacking, the need for a politically engaged form of social work becomes evident.

Political social work, which integrates activism, policy engagement, and advocacy, provides a critical framework for addressing the structural inequalities that sustain oppressive regimes. As Lane and Pritzker (2018) argue, social problems are inherently political. This model transforms social workers into facilitators of resistance and systemic change rather than mere service providers. In Afghanistan, where civil society is under siege and women’s rights are rapidly declining, neutrality risks complicity. A feminist, rights-based, and anti-authoritarian approach to social work offers essential tools for both local and transnational solidarity, reaffirming the profession’s ethical responsibility to confront injustice and engage directly with power structures (Alston, 2019). Reclaiming the political role of social work in Afghanistan is not only a moral imperative but also a strategic necessity for the profession’s relevance and impact in times of crisis.

2. Afghanistan Under the Taliban: A Case for Political Social Work

The Taliban’s return to power in August 2021 has reversed decades of human rights progress, particularly for women and girls, who now face systemic exclusion from education, employment, and public life—amounting to institutionalized gender apartheid (UN Women, 2023; Amnesty International, 2023). Compounding this gendered repression are intersecting crises including environmental degradation, widespread food insecurity affecting over 15 million people, mass displacement, and economic collapse exacerbated by conflict, climate change, and international sanctions (WFP, 2023; IOM, 2023). The dismantling of legal protections, such as the Law on the Elimination of Violence Against Women, has fuelled impunity for GBV, while mental health needs—especially among women suffering from depression and PTSD—remain unmet due to the collapse of services (UNAMA, 2022; WHO, 2022). Human trafficking and child exploitation have surged in the vacuum left by weakened institutions and pervasive poverty (UNODC, 2023).

In this context, conventional social work is insufficient. Instead, as Ife (2012) asserts, a political social work grounded in human rights, intersectionality, and anti-colonial praxis is vital—one that actively resists structural violence and authoritarianism. Afghanistan thus demands a radical reimagining of social work’s role: from service provision to a justice-oriented, solidarity-based practice that confronts power and global complicity.

The Role of Political Social Work

Political social work in Afghanistan must evolve beyond case management to embrace advocacy, policy influence, and movement-building. As Smith (2014) notes, in fragile states, the professional duty of social workers extends to confronting structures of oppression. This involves engaging with local and international power dynamics, challenging patriarchal norms, and amplifying marginalized voices. Key strategies include collaborating with international bodies to pressure the regime on human rights compliance while supporting local actors pushing for legal protections; and empowering grassroots movements through capacity-building, leadership development, and resource mobilization. Additionally, there is a need for engagement in civil-military coordination to safeguard civilian rights during emergencies (United Nations, 2022). Practicing “ethical noncompliance” by resisting unjust mandates, supporting underground education initiatives, and protecting human rights defenders may also be an ideal for the country.

Afghanistan exemplifies the convergence of many global crises highlighted in IASSW’s call: war, GBV, displacement, mental illness, and environmental disaster. Political social work must engage with these intersecting issues through an anti-oppressive, decolonial lens. For instance, responding to climate-induced displacement requires not only humanitarian aid but also advocacy for environmental justice and climate resilience (UN, 2022). Moreover, the global rise of authoritarianism and anti-democratic ideologies finds resonance in Afghanistan’s current regime. Social workers must therefore align themselves with transnational networks of resistance, share knowledge and solidarity, and promote democratic values and practices.

Political social work in Afghanistan is fraught with risk. Professionals face threats to their safety, surveillance, and persecution. The closure of civil society space further limits opportunities for public advocacy. As such, political engagement must be strategic, context-sensitive, and informed by ethical principles of “do no harm.” However, silence or apolitical practice risks complicity with oppressive systems. The courage to act, even under threat, aligns with the ethical imperatives of the profession. As Lane and Pritzker (2018) argue, political engagement is not optional but fundamental to realizing social work’s commitment to justice.

A revitalized political lens in social work embraces the profession’s radical roots. It recognizes that neutrality in the face of injustice is itself a political stance. In Afghanistan, where oppressive ideologies dominate, political social work must reclaim space for dissent, solidarity, and transformation. Drawing inspiration from global social movements such as the feminist, anti-racist, decolonial, and climate justice struggles, Afghan social workers can build alliances and collective power. This involves transforming social work education to include political theory, activism, and critical pedagogy. Moreover, international social work associations must support Afghan professionals through funding, protection, and advocacy platforms. The struggle for justice in Afghanistan is part of a broader global fight against authoritarianism and inequality.

Political social work faces profound constraints in Afghanistan. The current Taliban regime, widely recognized for its systematic repression of women and girls (Human Rights Watch, 2022), is both the root of widespread human suffering and the primary obstacle to transformative social change. Despite these structural impediments, this article argues that a cautious yet strategic move toward political social work may still be possible through the agency of Afghan women, the diaspora, and transnational support networks. These actors, although operating in restricted or peripheral spaces, hold latent potential to resist authoritarianism and enable seeds of structural transformation.

...Women have been excluded from education, employment, and public life, with even voluntary and informal activism facing increasing criminalization. Amnesty International, 2023

The Taliban’s return to power in August 2021 has reversed two decades of progress in women’s rights. Women have been excluded from education, employment, and public life, with even voluntary and informal activism facing increasing criminalization (Amnesty International, 2023). In such an environment, political social work cannot rely on state institutions, which remain fundamentally patriarchal and unaccountable. As Ife (2012) suggests, social work must, in such contexts, rely on a rights-based and community-driven approach, privileging the agency of the oppressed rather than the cooperation of authoritarian regimes.

International organizations such as the United Nations continue to provide humanitarian support, but their capacity to promote systemic reform is severely limited. Despite ongoing advocacy and programmatic interventions, these organizations have minimal leverage over Taliban authorities, who remain indifferent to international norms and largely resistant to pressure (UN Women, 2023). This aligns with Healy and Link’s (2012) argument that global social work must move beyond technocratic engagement toward fostering solidarity with grassroots actors under conditions of oppression.

This points to the significance of Afghan women’s voluntary initiatives as the closest current form of social work in the country. These efforts—such as community education in homes, underground networks for mutual aid, and covert health support—embody the essence of political social work through collective care, resistance, and empowerment (Dominelli, 2002). However, such practices remain at severe risk, as the Taliban seeks to extinguish even informal spaces of female solidarity (HRW, 2022).

In this regard, the Afghan diaspora offers a critical, if underutilized, resource. Diaspora actors—former civil society leaders, scholars, and professionals in exile—possess both proximity to local realities and the relative safety to advocate, organize, and strategize. As Al-Ali and Pratt (2009) note, diasporic mobilization can play a transformative role in resisting authoritarianism and advancing feminist agendas from abroad. These actors can help develop alternative visions of political social work, grounded in decolonial, intersectional frameworks (Sewpaul, 2013), and preserve institutional knowledge that may be critical in a post-Taliban future.

Moreover, intersectionality must remain central to any such project. The experiences of Afghan women are not monolithic; factors such as ethnicity, age, region, and professional identity mediate access to informal leadership spaces and exposure to risk (Collins & Bilge, 2016). Political social work must therefore resist one-size-fits-all models, and instead elevate differentiated, context-specific strategies for leadership, advocacy, and survival.

While the Taliban’s hostility toward women’s autonomy presents an existential threat to political social work, the movement need not be abandoned. As Payne (2021) emphasizes, political social work often thrives in “cracks” of oppressive systems—informal spaces, transnational alliances, and localized resistances. International actors can play a role by financing underground initiatives, facilitating secure communication technologies, and lobbying for diplomatic recognition of Afghan women’s collectives. However, such support must not reimpose external agendas or depoliticize local resistance (Briskman, 2016).

3. Conclusion

Afghanistan represents both a profound challenge and a critical imperative for the social work profession, demanding a reorientation toward political social work rooted in resistance, justice, and ethical responsibility. In the face of systemic gender apartheid, repression, and structural violence, conventional models of practice prove insufficient. Instead, social work must be reimagined as a dispersed, covert, and relational praxis enacted by those most impacted by injustice—particularly Afghan women and their transnational allies—who, despite formidable barriers, continue to resist authoritarianism, preserve hope, and reconfigure spaces of care and solidarity.

This vision requires not only professional skill but also moral courage and political clarity to confront oppressive power structures, amplify marginalized voices, and foster community resilience. Crucially, while the Taliban regime seeks to dominate public and private life, it does not exert total control; within the cracks of repression, opportunities for subversive practice, mutual aid, and feminist resistance persist. As global crises increasingly converge in gendered and authoritarian forms, Afghanistan serves as both a warning and a call to action, reminding us that the struggle for social justice may be obscured, but it remains irrepressibly alive.

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