The women of Afghanistan have been honoured at a London ceremony recognising their efforts to defend their rights under Taliban rule.
Footballer Elaha Safdari accepted the 2026 Chatham House Prize on behalf of Afghan women at the event on Monday 9 November. The award was presented by former prime minister Theresa May, who is president of the London-based international affairs institute.
The ceremony brought together women from the Afghan diaspora for a discussion about the restrictions facing women and girls, and the response of the international community. The selection of Afghan women for the prize had been announced in August; Monday’s event was the presentation, not a new decision to make the award.
Safdari, who played as a goalkeeper for Afghanistan’s women’s national football team, left Afghanistan for the UK after the Taliban returned to power in 2021. Speaking at the ceremony, she described the loss involved in leaving her home, friends, teammates and family.
“Becoming a refugee was never my dream,” she told the audience. She also spoke about the importance of football in helping women remain visible and of the work still needed to advance women’s rights in Afghanistan.
Education and work in focus
Since returning to power, the Taliban have barred girls from secondary education and women from university, restricted women’s access to many jobs and imposed limits on movement and participation in public life. A 2026 education assessment estimated that 2.4 million girls were excluded from secondary education.
These restrictions were central to the London discussion. Shaharzad Akbar said the prize could reassure girls denied an education that they had not been forgotten. Orzala Nemat relayed appeals from women working in humanitarian aid to keep raising their voices for girls’ education and women’s right to work.
Fawzia Koofi, a former deputy speaker of Afghanistan’s parliament, criticised the prohibition on girls accessing secondary and higher education. The panel also heard from Benafsha Yaqoobi, who challenged the UK’s restrictions on study visas for Afghan nationals and criticised the wider international response to Afghanistan.
Under the UK policy, student visa applications made from outside the country are refused where the main applicant is an Afghan national. The measure does not cancel visas already granted. The government has linked its policy to high numbers and proportions of people on certain visa routes later claiming asylum.
The evening included a film with contributions from women living in Afghanistan. Nemat read out their words to help protect their safety. One education activist expressed hope that audiences would remember both the courage of girls facing obstacles to learning and their need for freedom, safety and opportunity.
Recognition for a collective effort
Chatham House said it recognised Afghan women for their courage and resilience in the face of systematic gender persecution, and for their determination to defend the rights and futures of women and girls. The award is for women of Afghanistan collectively, rather than for Safdari or the football team alone.
The prize, established in 2005, is awarded for contributions to improving international relations. Members of the institute vote on the recipient after nominations by its staff.
In presenting the award, May said it belonged to every Afghan woman and stressed a collective responsibility to keep the situation facing women and girls in international attention.
Afghan women have continued to advocate for their rights both inside the country and from the diaspora. Their efforts have included protests, campaigns and ways of maintaining access to learning. The London event recognised that work and gave participants a platform to describe the restrictions they want addressed; it did not announce a change in those restrictions.
