In March 2026, Women without Borders’ Founder and Chair, Dr. Edit Schlaffer, participated in the panel discussion, “Exploring the Long-Term Impact of Girls’ Education Bans on the Comprehensive Security and Stability of Afghanistan and the Broader Region.” The panel formed part of the Special OSCE Asian Partners for Co-operation Group meeting and was organised by the Permanent Mission of Finland to the OSCE together with the Permanent Mission of Afghanistan to the OSCE in Vienna.
During the discussion, Edit Schlaffer highlighted how the Taliban’s prolonged ban on girls’ education is reshaping not only the lives of young Afghan women, but also Afghan society as a whole. She emphasised that excluding girls from education is reducing household incomes and increasing financial strain on families. As she noted, “By doing away with education, eroding critical thinking, and making identity exploration virtually impossible, the Taliban is creating the conditions for widespread radicalisation, undoing decades of peacebuilding work in a matter of years.”
Other panellists included Ms Metra Mehran, gender equity and human rights practitioner, and Dr Lara Scarpitta, OSCE Senior Adviser on Gender Issues in the Office of the Secretary General. The discussion was moderated by H.E. Ambassador Eglantina Gjermeni, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Albania to the OSCE, the United Nations and other International Organizations, and Chair of the OSCE Human Dimension Committee. The keynote speech was delivered by Mr Richard Bennett, UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in Afghanistan.
