Trading away Afghan women’s rights for the chance to end the war
On the occation of the International Women's Day, we arranged a webinar discussing Afghan women's rights today, and women's role in the peace talks with the Taliban.
WEBINAR 11.03.2021
Under Taliban rule, from 1996 to 2001, Afghan women were banned from work and schools, and endured severe restrictions on their movement. Today, 20 years on, women’s rights have progressed, and women and girls have a better opportunity to attend schooling and participate in political and economic life, though they constantly face targeted threats, violence, and harassment.
The progress has also been jeopardized by the Afghanistan peace efforts with the Taliban, where the continued exclusion of women from the peace talks and decision-making will not only risk the realization of true and sustainable peace, but also disregard women’s rights to define their own future.
Afghan female civil society are seeking to make women part of the peace negotiations and influence the peace process through direct consultations with both the Taliban and the Afghan government. They do this at a high price. Recent targeted attacks on women activists have risen, and female civil society live under constant threat.
In this webinar, we will be joined by:
- Ms. Mary Akrami, Director of Afghan Women’s Network (AWN)
- Ms. Mahbouba Seraj, member of AWN
- Farida Nekzad, Director of Center for the Protection of Afghan Women Journalist (CPAWJ)
- May Jeong (investigative journalist, formerly based in Kabul) will moderate the discussions
