More than 80 Afghan women who abandoned Taliban’s dominance to pursue higher education in Oman are now facing an imminent deportation in Afghanistan after US -funded scholarships have been terminated abruptly due to the freezing of foreign aid.
Women, who had studied under the Women’s Fellowship Program (WSE) funded by the US Service for International Development (USAID), were informed last week that their scholarships had been interrupted. The decision is followed by a funding frozen ordered by President Donald Trump after returning to post in January, as part of wider cuts in government spending.
“It was a heart,” a student told the BBC, speaking anonymously due to security concerns. “Everyone was shocked and crying. We were told they would be sent back within two weeks.”
Risk of prosecution
Since the recovery of power almost four years ago, the Taliban imposed serious limitations on women, including the ban on universities and most forms of employment. The women of Afghanistan in Oman, many of whom had left Pakistan last September after waiting for 18 months, are now afraid of their safety if they had to return.
“If we return, we will face serious consequences,” one student said. “It would mean to lose all our dreams. Many of us could also be at a personal risk because of our previous partnerships and activism.”
Students were pursuing postgraduate and postgraduate studies in STEM fields, which are now effectively out of bounds for women under the dominance of the Taliban. They had secured scholarships before the Taliban occupied Afghanistan in 2021 and were transferred to Oman between October and November 2024 under visas that facilitated USAID.
The emails that have seen the BBC confirm the ending of their scholarships, recognizing that the news would be “deeply disappointing and worrying”. Emails are also mentioned in travel settings back to Afghanistan, increasing the alarm among students.
The freezing and the political phenomenon
Trump’s decision to freeze USAID funding has faced legal challenges, but has already led to the termination or suspension of thousands of humanitarian programs worldwide. The White House defended the movement as part of the wider reforms from the government’s efficiency.
White House Deputy Secretary Anna Kelly accused the crisis that faced Afghan women for the withdrawal of US military from Afghanistan under Biden’s administration, saying in The Washington Post: “Afghanistan women suffer because Law ».
The freezing has also been applied by the Elon Musk government efficiency department, part of the Trump administration’s initiative to reduce federal spending.
Calls for international intervention RRGENT
The students of Afghanistan are now attractive for emergency intervention by the international community, seeking financial assistance and resettlement in a safe country where they can continue their education.
“When we arrived, our sponsors told us not to return to Afghanistan until 2028 because it was not safe and now they tell us to come back,” one student said.
The Taliban have broken women who are complaining about education and employment, with activists reporting arrests, beatings and threats. Women in Afghanistan describe themselves as “dead bodies moving around” under the oppressive policies of the regime.
The US Foreign Ministry has not yet commented on the situation, and the USAID website communication page remains offline.
A few days before the expulsion process, Afghanistan women in Oman Facean are expected to start and a dangerous future.
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