Afghan women are strongly fighting for their rights to be a part of future talks regarding peace process, especially that efforts are being placed to renew peace talks with the Taliban.
Afghan women are coming together to call for more attention so they can be included in future peace talks. It is given that these women are still disturbed by the rule hat they are being left out because it would mean a loss of their given rights.
However, Afghan women are finding themselves in the middle of a tight situation, since it is top priority to keep an ending to a 15-year war that has claimed thousands of lives compared to expanding women's rights in a country that is known to be conservative.
According to Human Rights Watch, women have not been present for more than 20 Afghan peace talks that go for more than a decade. There were also no women in the two rounds of peace talks that happened in early January by representatives from Afghanistan, Pakistan, United States, and China. In Afghanistan, men hold all top positions in the government and in security forces.
Afghan women, especially human rights advocates, are finding light on the fact that there is data that support their involvement in peace processes. According to a study published by the United Nations last year, having women in peace negotiations will make the talk more likely to succeed.
"We know that when women are placed at the center of security, justice, economic recovery and good governance, they will be more direct recipients of a range of peace dividends including job creation and public services," stated the report, as posted by Star Tribune.
In addition to the report, Suhaila Sahar, director of the General Association of Public Servants, said that they will fight hard to uphold the rights that Afghan women has gained over the years.
"Afghan women do not want a peace that again restricts women's access to school or work outside the home. Women are half the population of the country and must not be ignored. This lack of a role in the peace talks is extremely frustrating to me," said Sahar, in a report by ABC News.
