Afghan education advocate establishes $2.5 million Oxford scholarship fund for women

Shabana Basij-Rasikh, founder of the School of Leadership Afghanistan (SOLA), has announced a permanent $2.5 million fund to support Afghan women pursuing master’s degrees at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.

The scholarship programme is expected to launch in September 2027, funding at least one Afghan woman each year. It will cover the full cost of study, including tuition fees, accommodation, living expenses and other essential costs.

Recipients will also have access to leadership development opportunities through Oxford’s Weidenfeld-Hoffmann Trust.

Basij-Rasikh said the initiative should not be interpreted as a political statement, referring to restrictions affecting access to UK visas. She also stressed that the fund is separate from SOLA’s operational budget.

SOLA supports Afghan girls’ education through its boarding school in Rwanda and SOLAx, its online learning programme. Together, the initiatives provide educational opportunities to more than 40,000 students.

The scholarship comes amid continuing restrictions on girls’ and women’s access to education in Afghanistan. It aims to provide a pathway for Afghan women to pursue advanced studies at an internationally recognised university while developing their leadership skills.