This project is developed within a PhD scholarship with the funding reference 2024.04423.BD.

Afghanistan’s modern history has been characterized by repeated power struggles, conflict and resistance, particularly in response to the Soviet invasion, the rise of the Taliban regime, and the US led intervention following 9/11. The state of prolonged conflicts and political instability triggered mass migration flows, both regionally, to neighboring countries, and globally. These conditions have shaped Afghan migration patterns and efforts of mobilization. This project will examine the political and social mobilization of Afghan women in the diaspora. Despite their long-standing participation in resistance efforts, through NGO work, digital activism, or transnational advocacy, Afghan women are often portrayed as passive victims of war, displacement, or religious extremism. These narratives are further reinforced in diaspora contexts, where their actions are framed through limited lenses of asylum or integration, rather than as expressions of agency within broader feminist and political movements. However, since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, Afghan women have taken on increasingly visible roles in advocating for human and women’s rights, despite the challenges posed by their displacement. Methodologically, the project adopts a case-study approach, focusing on the Afghan diaspora in Germany, ideal location for the study due to the size, diversity and prominence of the Afghan community it hosts. I will combiningsemi-structured interviews with Afghan women and social media analysis of Afghan activists and organizations in Germany. Focusing on the experiences of Afghan women in the diaspora, this research will explore how they engage in political activism, navigate questions of identity, and maintain transnational connections to Afghanistan. Their experiences in exile offer insights into how diaspora communities can engage with their home country and into how women can contribute to resistance, particularly against the Taliban, a regime that treats them as second-class citizens and seeks to erase their agency.

In conclusion, this project aims to contribute to migration and diaspora studies, and transnational feminist research, particularly in the context of Afghanistan. By examining how Afghan women in Germany mobilize from exile, the research challenges reductive victim narratives and creates a transnational perspective on resistance. It will highlight the broader role of diaspora communities in shaping resistance movements and preserving connections to homeland struggles under authoritarian rule. 

Keywords: Afghanistan, Diaspora, Afghan Women, Social Media, Germany. 

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