What Afghan Women Leaders Want You to Know about the Peace Talks

Dec 14, 2020 | The Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security
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Peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban officially began in October of 2020, opening the possibility for ending to decades of violence through a political settlement. The talks, however, have gotten off to a slow start, as the last many weeks have been spent on procedural matters. Afghan women fear that the Taliban will insist on a return to fundamentalist laws and norms, rolling back decades of progress on women’s rights.

Afghan women leaders are counting on their government and the international community to help ensure that the gains they have made over the last 19 years will not be erased in any future agreement. Women’s rights are guaranteed by the constitution, including the right to an education, to work outside the home, and to participate in politics. As the world’s attention is focused on their situation, Afghan women leaders have been asked to comment on the state of the negotiations and the role of the international community in Afghanistan’s future. GIWPS gathered their answers to the most “frequently asked questions.”