Samira Asghari, Afghanistan's first IOC member, urges the Taliban to restore women's rights to education and sport if they seek international acceptance. At 31 and living in exile, she supports cautious engagement with Kabul to secure tangible opportunities for girls, prioritising primary-school sport and diaspora athletes. Asghari warns of a potential 'lost generation' unless small, practical gains are pursued while continuing to press for broader human-rights reforms.
Taliban-Olympic Talks: Samira Asghari Pushes for a U-Turn on Afghan Women's Rights
Afghanistan's IOC member Samira Asghari, left, pictured in Kabul in 2011 with former US golfer Eddie Bullock during an introductory lesson for a group of Afghan children [Musadeq Sadeq/AP]
Samira Asghari, Afghanistan's first member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), says the Taliban must accept a simple reality: international acceptance will depend on restoring women's access to education and sport.
Engagement Over Isolation
Now 31 and living in exile for a second time, Asghari favours engagement with the authorities in Kabul despite the personal risks. The Taliban have banned girls older than 12 from school, barred many women from public-sector jobs and services, and prohibited women from participating in most sports.
Asghari, who joined the IOC in 2018 and is a former international basketball player, acknowledges that defending women’s sporting rights requires caution, but she believes dialogue is essential while the Taliban remain the de facto rulers.
'When you publicly defend women's rights you become a target, but I strongly believe in communication and engagement,' she told AFP in an email interview.
Practical Focus: Small Openings, Big Impact
In her IOC role Asghari has sought to open channels between the Olympic movement and those in power in Afghanistan, concentrating on tangible opportunities for girls — especially at the primary-school level, where girls are still allowed to attend up to sixth grade.
'These conversations are not about legitimising any government,' she says. 'They are about creating real opportunities for future generations of boys and girls in Afghanistan.'
With many Afghan sportswomen dispersed worldwide, assembling competitive national teams is complex. Still, a diaspora side called Afghan Women United — made up of players based in Europe and Australia — recently competed in the FIFA Unites: Women's Series 2025 in Morocco, a sign of how support for athletes abroad can sustain momentum.
Warning Against a 'Lost Generation'
Asghari warns that without action Afghanistan risks producing another 'lost generation' similar to the period of Taliban rule from 1996 to 2001. She recalls returning from exile in Iran and seeing the human cost: a 20-year-old woman sitting in her sixth-grade classroom because she had been denied education years earlier.
'I cannot accept seeing this happen again. That's why even small opportunities matter so much,' she said.
Policy and Hope
Asghari stresses that engagement does not mean acceptance of the Taliban's restrictions. Rather, it is a pragmatic effort to protect girls' access to sport and education where possible, while continuing to press for fundamental human-rights improvements.
She attended the recent Islamic Solidarity Games in Riyadh — where Afghan women and men were able to compete — and remains committed to a strategy of steady dialogue and pressure.
'The future of Afghanistan is this young generation. We need to give them every opportunity we can, no matter how small, and never, ever give up on them.'
Asghari's approach combines international diplomacy, coordination with organisations like the IOC and FIFA, and a focus on achievable, protective measures for girls still in school. Her message is clear: limited, practical gains now can prevent long-term societal damage and keep the hope of full rights alive.
