Education in Secret: How NGOs Provide Hope to Girls and Women in Afghanistan 

This blogpost by Fabia Jenny about the role of NGOs in providing education to girls and women in Afghanistan is based on the author’s Master’s thesis at the Geneva Graduate Institute. The thesis won the NORRAG Prize in Comparative and International Education, an annual award presented by the NORRAG Global Education Centre and the UNESCO Chair in Comparative Education Policy. The prize aims to recognize an exceptional Master’s thesis at the Geneva Graduate Institute that addresses critical issues in the field of comparative and international education. 

Introduction: The Taliban’s Ban on Education 

After the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, Afghanistan has become the only country in the world where girls are prohibited from attending secondary school. By 2024, 1.4 million girls and women had been stripped of their right to education, and with it their hopes for empowerment, independence, and a secure future. The consequences are severe for their mental and social well-being, their economic prospects and future agency, and ultimately for the health, stability and prosperity of Afghan society as a whole. 

Yet, amid these devastating restrictions, resistance quietly persists. Various NGOs and grassroots initiatives continue tirelessly to provide education to girls and women, offering hope and a sense of normalcy. Their approaches are creative, including, for instance, secret underground schools, online platforms and radio programs. These organizations and their students operate with extraordinary courage, often at significant personal risk. 

In the context of my Master’s thesis, I investigated how such NGOs navigate the challenges of the insecure Afghan context, ensure their survival and remain resilient. 

Courage and Motivation: People at the Heart of Education Initiatives 

The driving force behind these educational initiatives is people: Teachers, NGO workers, and volunteers. Operating in such an insecure context, often at the risk of their own lives, demands courage, resilience and above all, high levels of intrinsic motivation. Their shared belief that education is the key to self-determination and freedom enables them to endure emotional strain, long hours, and little or no pay. Many teachers and NGO members have a personal connection to Afghanistan or have themselves fled Taliban rule, further strengthening their commitment.  

At the same time, ensuring adequate psychological support, a supportive team environment and open communication is essential to accompany team members appropriately in this work. Such practices can mean the difference between giving up and carrying on. 

Digital Pathways: Opportunities and Limitations 

Many NGOs deploy digital solutions to circumvent the Taliban’s restrictions. Classes are delivered via WhatsApp, YouTube, or other platforms, sometimes connecting students in remote areas with teachers abroad. Self-learning apps and AI tools are being explored, and in some instances, they may help to compensate for the lack of teachers. 

But digital approaches also face limitations: internet connection in Afghanistan is slow, limited and expensive, students may lack devices or technological knowledge, electricity is unreliable, and online learning can feel isolating. NGOs have proven to find creative ways to deal with these challenges, such as offering blended learning that mixes online and offline methods. They also produce instructional videos to help students navigate digital tools and design mobile-friendly applications instead of programs that depend on laptops. As such, structural barriers can be overcome at least partially. 

Operating with Scarcity: Financial Constraints 

Securing financial resources is a constant challenge. Global funding cuts, a shift in focus to other crises, and donors’ reluctance to fund projects in Taliban-controlled territory mean that most operate with tight, project-to-project budgets.  

To cope, they diversify. Organizations draw from multiple funding sources, such as small grants, crowdfunding campaigns, and individual donors. Volunteers often fill roles that would otherwise require paid staff, while digital tools sometimes help reduce costs. These adaptations reflect resilience and show how NGOs find alternatives when financial resources are scarce. Yet the absence of reliable, long-term funding continues to undermine their stability and limits the scale of their work. 

Collaboration over Competition 

A central finding of my research is that collaboration is key. NGOs often combine their complementary expertise. For instance, one organization may provide the technological infrastructure for online classes, while another supplies educational content. International and local organizations are equally relevant, with international actors bringing funding and visibility, and local organizations contributing community trust and cultural knowledge. These partnerships are most effective when they respect local autonomy and when Afghan NGOs are not reduced to mere implementers but recognized as equal actors. Beyond individual partnerships, NGOs form networks where they share experiences, pool resources, explore funding opportunities, and learn collectively. By working together, organizations not only extend their reach but also amplify their collective voice on the international stage. 

Learning in Secret: Security as Constant Concern 

For NGOs operating on the ground, security is a daily preoccupation. Underground schools risk Taliban inspections at any moment. Teachers’ phones may be searched, and any digital traces of lessons can be dangerous. To protect themselves, NGOs enforce strict confidentiality: no names are shared, WhatsApp chats are archived, and classrooms are disguised as Quran study groups, with religious books ready at hand. 

Here, the tight-knit fabric of Afghan communities often provides essential protection. Neighbors are more likely to shield one another from the Taliban than to expose them, offering safety to those involved in underground schools. NGOs also depend on local knowledge and rely on people on the ground who understand the context and can navigate the loopholes and grey areas in Taliban policies. 

Lessons in Resilience 

My research reveals that NGOs in Afghanistan build resilience through adaptive capacities – the ability to creatively rely on existing resources and mobilize new ones. These capacities translate into three interlinked strategies, as suggested by Szemző et al. (2022): 

Adaptability: They react flexibly to changing circumstances and risks. 

Diversification: They focus on building new learning modalities, tapping into available financial sources, and establishing partnerships. 

Ecosystem-Building: NGOs engage in ecosystems and alliances to build a support network. 

These strategies are iterative and mutually reinforcing. Each crisis forces organizations to innovate, and each innovation strengthens their capacity to navigate the next challenge. 

Practical Implications and a call to action 

The insights of my thesis allow for specific concrete recommendations: 

• Psychological health should be prioritized: Support for NGOs’ team members, including teachers on the ground, is vital. 

• Digital solutions need to be expanded with a focus on inclusivity: Offline alternatives are inevitable. 

• Financial sustainability needs to be promoted: Long-term support and flexible funding are essential. 

• Equal partnerships: International actors should support local NGOs, but allow for independence. 

• International attention needs to be retained: Education for women and girls in Afghanistan should remain on the global agenda.  

Resilience as Resistance 

My study shows that resilience is not a buzzword; it constitutes the lived realities of Afghan women and girls, as well as of the organizations providing education. The teacher who welcomes students in her kitchen. The girl who studies grammar at night. The volunteers who work countless hours to fight for girls’ and women’s right to education. However, what becomes clear as well is that these small-scale acts of resistance rely on external support. The question thus remains how international support can guarantee that local NGOs can stay operational and expand their initiatives despite the harsh conditions.  

The Author 

Fabia Jenny completed her Master’s degree in International and Development Studies at the Graduate Institute in Geneva in 2025. Her research focuses on how NGOs sustain education for girls and women under the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. She can be reached at fabia.jenny@graduateinstitute.ch.