Latest News
Habiba Sarabi the lone woman in a room full of men at Moscow meeting
Despite repeated pledges by the Afghan government and the country’s politicians to include women in decision making processes, Thursday’s grand meeting in Moscow on the peace process indicated otherwise.
As delegates filed into the meeting room – it quickly became clear that among the dozens present, all were men – except for one.
Habiba Sarabi was the only female among the Afghan delegates – which included the Afghan government, the Taliban and individuals from Afghanistan who were sent invitations by Moscow.
Sarabi was the lone female voice in a room full of men.
In a tweet after the meeting, Sarabi made her feelings on the matter clear and said in reference to the Turkey meeting in April: “I hope I will not be the only woman at the next summit.”
Coming out in support of Sarabi was Nader Nadery, a fellow Afghan Republic peace talks team member, who said after the meeting that Sarabi “said in her remarks to the room full of men: why I should be the only woman in the room? We have not been part of the war, we can certainly contribute to peace. 51% of people should not be ignored. Hope hosts take note of it for the future.”
Nadery also stated that he hopes an “equal number of women on tables should become the norm. Proud of Sarabi Habiba.”
Shaharzad Akbar, chairperson of the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) also questioned this imbalance.
She said in a tweet: “Based on media reports, some of the invitations for Moscow event were delivered to specific individuals. Why didn’t Russia include a single Afghan woman on that list? There was also an invitation to Afghan government presumably, why wasn’t that invitation utilized to send four women negotiators?”
Even Ashraf Haidari, Afghanistan’s Ambassador to Sri Lanka, weighed in. He said in a tweet: “The presence of articulate women slowly diminished in peace meetings. Their substantive input and leadership in any peace engagement is naturally needed, as they speak for two thirds of any population, including children they nurture. Moscow wouldn’t care. Every Afghan must!”
This sentiment was shared by many including Human Rights Watch interim co-director, women’s rights division Heather Barr who quite bluntly said: “So easy for all the men – of varying, but not too varying, levels of misogyny – to snuggle up and make friends when they only let one woman in the room.”
Even Lyse Doucet, the BBC’s Chief International Correspondent commented. She said: “Strong voices of Afghan women. Is that why they don’t want more at the table?”
Soon after the start of the intra-Afghan talks in Doha, in September last year, Oxfam, Cordaid and InclusivePeace released a report stating that nearly 80 percent of Afghanistan’s peace tables, since 2005, have excluded women.
At the time, the report stated that without the meaningful participation of women, any sustainable peace efforts are at risk of failure.
The joint report Because She Matters, highlighted tangible ways to ensure women’s propositions and concerns are reflected in the negotiation process. It also showed that peace is more attainable when women have a place at the table, as peace agreements are 35 percent more likely to last beyond fifteen years when women effectively engage in them.
“Continued exclusion of women from Afghanistan peace efforts and decision-making will not only jeopordise the realisation of a true and sustainable peace, but blatantly disregard women’s rights to define their own future. We fear hard-won gains in women’s rights could be reversed”, said Ashish Damle, Oxfam’s Country Director in Afghanistan.
“Continued exclusion of women from Afghanistan peace efforts and decision-making will not only jeopordise the realisation of a true and sustainable peace, but blatantly disregard women’s rights to define their own future.”
During the meetings between the US government and the Taliban in Doha in February last year that set the stage for the start of the intra-Afghan peace process in September, not one woman was included in the conversation; and consequently women’s rights were not mentioned in the resulting deal struck a year ago.
“Despite seeing a small number of Afghan women represented in peace processes, Afghan women’s voices are largely marginilized. The intra-Afghan peace process, at all stages and levels, needs to do much better,” added Damle in September last year.
Latest News
Khalilzad warns Pakistan-Afghanistan tensions likely to worsen after fresh airstrikes
Former U.S. special representative for Afghanistan reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad has warned that the latest Pakistani airstrikes in Afghanistan and recent violence inside Pakistan are part of a wider crisis, saying he sees no indication that the situation is about to change.
In a post on X on Thursday, Khalilzad described the Pakistani airstrikes that have killed Afghan civilians and the increasing use of force against civilians in Pakistan as “interconnected tragedies,” implying both effected by Pakistan’s establishment.
“Unfortunately, I do not see any signs of change,” Khalilzad said, adding that current indicators suggested the use of force against Pakistanis would “likely get worse” in the coming days.
His comments came after Pakistan carried out a new wave of airstrikes inside Afghanistan overnight Thursday, saying it had targeted 10 locations used to launch and store drones.
Pakistani Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said the strikes were conducted in response to drones launched from Afghan territory a day earlier and described them as “deliberate, precise, calibrated and proportionate.”
Afghan officials said the strikes killed four civilians. The attacks reportedly hit locations including Kandahar, Khost and Paktia provinces. Afghanistan’s Islamic Emirate authorities have denied launching the drones cited by Pakistan and have condemned the strikes.
The latest attacks follow Pakistani airstrikes earlier this week in Kunar and Paktika. Pakistan said those operations killed 28 militants, while the United Nations confirmed that three Afghan civilians — a man, a woman and a girl — were killed, with four others injured.
The renewed airstrikes come amid a sharp deterioration in relations between Kabul and Islamabad. Pakistan has accused Afghanistan of allowing militant groups, including the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), to operate from its territory and launch attacks inside Pakistan.
Afghan authorities reject the allegations and say militancy inside Pakistan is an internal issue.
Khalilzad has previously called for a change in Pakistan’s strategy toward both its internal security problems and Afghanistan.
Latest News
Afghanistan summons Pakistani chargé d’affaires over latest airstrikes
Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned Pakistan’s chargé d’affaires to Kabul and lodged a strong protest against the violation of Afghan airspace and Pakistani military airstrikes on several Afghan provinces.
The ministry handed the Pakistani diplomat a formal protest note following the attacks on Kandahar, Paktia and Khost provinces on Wednesday night, which reportedly caused civilian casualties.
The Islamic Emirate strongly condemned the strikes, calling them a violation of Afghanistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and contrary to Islamic, international, humanitarian and good-neighborly principles.
The ministry also rejected what it called baseless claims that Afghan territory was being used as a source of Pakistan’s recent security incidents.
It said using such claims to justify military action was an attempt to distort facts, mislead public opinion and conceal Pakistan’s internal failures.
The Islamic Emirate further accused Pakistan’s military leadership of avoiding commitments made to regional countries and warned that such actions could further escalate tensions in the region.
Latest News
Museum dedicated to preserving ‘Jihadi’ artefacts opens in Kandahar
The museum’s collection includes more than 100 items gathered from different locations.
A museum dedicated to preserving what Afghan authorities describe as “Jihadi artefacts” has officially opened in Kandahar, with officials saying more than 100 items have so far been collected for display.
Mufti Mohammad Tahir Ahmad, Director General for the Preservation of Jihadi Artefacts at the Ministry of Information and Culture, attended the inauguration ceremony alongside Qari Ahmadullah Saeed Khosti, Director of Registration for Jihadi Artefacts and Documents.
Mufti Inamullah Samangani, head of the Kandahar Information and Culture Department, and officials from several government departments also attended the ceremony.
According to the official responsible for preserving the artefacts in Kandahar, the museum’s collection includes more than 100 items gathered from different locations.
The collection includes weapons that officials say were captured from British, Soviet and US forces, as well as personal belongings and other items associated with people killed during Afghanistan’s conflicts over the past two decades.
Officials said efforts to collect additional artefacts would continue in order to expand the museum’s collection.
The museum is now open to visitors, according to the officials.
-
Sport3 days agoAfghanistan to face Japan and Nepal in Asian Games cricket group stage
-
Latest News4 days agoPakistan says Kohat attackers had roots in Afghanistan
-
Latest News5 days agoOIC to hold Afghanistan Contact Group meeting on sidelines of UN General Assembly
-
Regional5 days agoFlames, smoke seen near Riyadh airport; Houthis claim attacks on Saudi capital
-
Regional4 days agoIran and US trade threats after Houthi attacks escalate regional conflict
-
Business4 days agoDogharoun handles 60% of Iran’s exports to Afghanistan
-
World3 days agoCNN, MS NOW and Politico sue Trump, challenging White House ban
-
World5 days agoWorld leaders return to UN amid wars in Middle East and Ukraine

