After an international outcry, the United States reversed its decision, allowing the Afghan girls to enter the country through a “parole” process that authorizes otherwise ineligible visitors on humanitarian grounds or because it benefits the public.

The team, which had only two weeks to build its robot for the event because a shipment of parts was delayed, won a silver medal for courageous achievement.

It was never clear exactly why the girls did not get their visas at first. But education for girls in Afghanistan — and the obstacles in getting it — is of great interest as the country has dealt with daunting challenges after more than a dozen years of war.

The girls faced an emotional setback in August, days after they returned home from the United States, when the father of the team’s captain was killed in a suicide bombing.

Roya Mahboob, an Afghan technology entrepreneur who interpreted for the teenagers in the United States, is the chief executive of Digital Citizen Fund, a women’s empowerment nonprofit that sponsored the Afghan team. She posted a congratulatory message on Twitter after the girls won the contest in Estonia.