Dear John,
Secretary of State Pompeo recently announced that a deal has been reached between the United States and the Taliban and that an agreement would be signed on February 29th, “if a significant reduction in violence across Afghanistan was achieved” between February 22-29th. The U.S. and its allies would then reduce the number of troops in Afghanistan and the Taliban would ensure that Afghanistan would not be a safe haven for terrorists that would threaten the U.S. and our allies. No mention was made of guaranteeing women’s rights, human rights or adherence to the Afghan Constitution.
Tell your Members of Congress Afghan women’s rights are non-negotiable.
Afghan women leaders are extremely concerned. They are demanding that Afghan women have a meaningful and full participation in the intra-Afghan peace talks which are to follow shortly after the agreement is signed between the U.S. and the Taliban. Afghan women have affirmed over and over again that “we will not go back!” and that women’s rights and lives cannot be traded away. They are demanding that strong Afghan women rights leaders be at the negotiating table.
U.S.-Taliban Negotiations Excluded Afghan Women
Afghan women leaders have not been in the negotiations between the U.S. and Taliban, a clear violation of the Women Peace and Security Act signed into law by President Trump in 2017. For that matter the Afghan government was not included in the US-Taliban negotiations either.
Afghan President Pledges Commitment to Women’s Rights
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani met Monday after Sec. Pompeo’s announcement of the deal with some 250 Afghan women leaders and assured them that women’s rights would not be compromised in any negotiations with the Taliban and the Afghan government. He recently affirmed that, “No Afghan woman for as long as I am alive and in position of responsibility is going to be subjected to gender apartheid. Afghan women are second to no one. This generation of young Afghan women sees the world as their potential stage. 75% of the society (Afghanistan) is under the age of 25. They are not going to be caged. The society has changed. The issue is: Are the Taliban sufficiently aware to engage in this?”
Afghan Women’s Achievements
Under the Taliban rule, some 20 years ago, women and girls could not go to school at any age, could not be employed outside the home, and could not go outside their home without a male guardian. Today, Afghan women are doctors, lawyers, police officers, members of parliament and make up 27% of government workers. Girls are 40% of K-12 students and 25% of college students are women. Afghan women are 35% of the teachers and 19% of the doctors, and 40% of the nurses. Learn more about Afghan women’s achievements today.
Afghan women have seen the Taliban continue to commit brutal acts of violence and enforce their draconian edicts in the few districts that they now control. Afghan women fear losing their rights in the peace talks as guarantees of human rights in general and women’s rights in particular do not appear to be a prerequisite for any settlement between the U.S. and the Taliban.
Please send an urgent message to U.S. Senators and U.S. Representatives that you stand shoulder-to- shoulder with Afghan women and their fight for equality and human rights. We must not trade away the human rights of Afghan women and girls for vague and unenforceable Taliban “guarantees” on sheltering violent extremists. There is no sustainable peace without women’s participation and rights. Anything less than a sustainable peace will make a mockery of U.S. and international values and all the sacrifices and investments made by the Afghan people, the U.S., NATO countries and the international community in rebuilding Afghanistan after decades of war.
For Women’s Rights and Lives,
 Eleanor Smeal President, Feminist Majority |
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