Amnesty International warns strides made by women ‘under threat’

Amnesty International said Monday that the two decades of hard-won progress by Afghanistan’s women and girls are at serious risk of being unraveled.

The organization raised concerns in a statement that read “the limited involvement of women in the peace talks” and the major strides on women’s rights “are now under threat.”

Amnesty International stated that as international troops continue to leave the country ahead of a full withdrawal on September 11, and with talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban at an impasse, the prospects for Afghanistan’s women and girls are at a critical juncture.

“Afghanistan is at a tipping point. As peace talks falter, the conflict continues to take the lives of civilians on an almost daily basis. Taken alongside the forthcoming withdrawal of international troops, Afghanistan is drifting towards an outcome that threatens to undo more than twenty years of progress for women and girls,” said Yamini Mishra, Amnesty International’s Asia-Pacific Director.

Mishra stated that these negotiations will shape the future for women and girls in Afghanistan and their voices must be heard.

“Now is the time for the Afghan government and its international partners to unequivocally commit and work to ensure that women’s rights and two decades of achievement are not traded off in the peace talks with the Taliban,” she said.

According to the statement, Afghan women were subjected to severe restrictions including being banned from working outside the home and appearing in public without a close male relative under Taliban rule from 1996-2001.

“Women and girls were further denied access to education and had limited access to healthcare. These restrictions still invariably apply to women in areas currently controlled by the Taliban,” the statement noted.

“While much work remains to be done, women’s rights have improved significantly since 2001. There are now 3.3 million girls in education, and women more actively participate in the political, economic and social life of the country.”

“Despite the ongoing conflict, Afghan women have become lawyers, doctors, judges, teachers, engineers, athletes, activists, politicians, journalists, bureaucrats, business owners, police officers, and members of the military,” the statement read.

Amnesty International noted that Afghan women still face major obstacles to the full realization of their rights.

“Violence against women is rife, the participation of women at all levels of government remains limited and, according to UNICEF, 2.2 million Afghan girls still do not attend school.”

“In the current peace talks, which began in September 2020, the 21-member Afghan government negotiation team included only four women, with no women represented in the Taliban delegation. In the March peace conference on Afghanistan in Moscow, only one woman was included in the 16-member government delegation.”

“The significant under-representation and frequent side-lining of women throughout these talks are indicative of how far there is still to go. These negotiations will shape the future for women and girls in Afghanistan and their voices must be heard. The Afghan government must ensure inclusive and meaningful participation of women in the talks,” said Yamini Mishra.