Development Policymaking for Justice and Social Equality in Afghanistan (2004–2021)

Abstract

This article analyzes the policies, programs, and strategies of the Afghan government in the field of developing justice and social equality from 2004 to 2021. The main research question is the extent to which the policies of this period, within the framework of institutionalism and the theories of justice proposed by John Rawls and Nancy Fraser, contributed to the realization of social justice. The theoretical framework of the study is based on the integration of historical institutionalism, Rawls’s theory of justice as fairness, and Nancy Fraser’s three-dimensional model of justice. This research was conducted using a qualitative approach through content analysis of Afghanistan’s development documents and semi-structured interviews with university professors, government employees, and civil society activists. The data were examined using MAXQDA software and thematic analysis. The findings indicate that although policies in the areas of redistributing educational, health, and infrastructural services led to a relative improvement in access, institutional weakness, corruption, insecurity, and dependence on foreign aid prevented the sustainable realization of social justice, while the dimensions of recognition and participation received less effective attention.