In recent years, international migration has emerged as a significant factor shaping economic, cultural, and social landscapes. However, this movement of people poses disruptions and challenges for both origin and destination countries. Iran is one of the most important destinations for a significant number of Afghan residents, immigrants, and undocumented individuals. Many Afghans have lived in Iran for over four decades. This migration can be traced back to several key events: the Soviet Union’s invasion of Afghanistan in December 1979, the outbreak of civil war and the Taliban’s rule of Afghanistan (1996–2001), the US invasion of the country in October 2001, the collapse of the national unity government, and the re-establishment of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan by the Taliban in August 2021. Over these periods, approximately 3.6 million people migrated to Iran from Afghanistan, and this trend continues today. Some 36 per cent of this population, equivalent to 1.3 million individuals, are girls and women.[1]
The education and training of Afghan women in Iran is a complex issue shaped by the Iranian government’s macro policies concerning non-Iranians. Since the early 1990s, following the shifts in Iran’s open-door policy toward Afghan refugees and the emergence of economic and social problems in Iran, the government has sought to reduce the number of refugees, control and prevent new migration, and direct refugees to return to Afghanistan. Consequently, various restrictions were imposed on the education of Afghan women in order to make the refugees feel less than welcomed. some of these restrictions included assigning them areas for residence that were geographically remote; banning them from studying certain subjects in schools and universities; and restricting their enrolment in public schools and their access to textbooks. These restrictions have had a detrimental effect on the education of Afghan girls and women.[2]
[1] Mansour Anbarmoo, “Investigating the Challenges and Educational Opportunities of Afghan Women in Iran,” in
Afghan Women and Education, ed. Behnaz Hosseini (Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2024).
[2] Ibid
