200 OXFAM BRIEFING PAPER

24 NOVEMBER 2014

Girls participating in Oxfams Great Idea project in Parwan Province, Afghanistan. Photo: Lalage Snow/Oxfam

BEHIND CLOSED
DOORS
The risk of denying women a voice in determining
Afghanistans future
Womens rights have been held up as one of the most tangible
gains of the international intervention in Afghanistan. After 13 years
of promises from the international community that womens rights
are a high priority, these gains remain fragile and are at an
increasing risk of erosion, especially as expected peace talks with
the Taliban gain momentum. The international community and the
new Afghan government must stand by their promises and include
women fully in negotiations on the future of Afghanistan.

www.oxfam.org

SUMMARY
As the Taliban regime fell in 2001 after six years of abuse and
oppression, the international community made a promise to the women
of Afghanistan, that it would never again abandon them. The protection
of their rights, at least in part, became a key element to afterwards
legitimize the war which followed. It is 13 years since Colin Powell, thenUS Secretary of State, declared that, the rights of the women in
Afghanistan will not be negotiable. Now Afghan women are questioning
what the future holds.
Undoubtedly, there have been enormous gains for Afghan women in
recent years. Almost four million girls are in school, the highest number in
Afghanistans history, and women, particularly those in urban areas, work
as politicians, police officers, pilots, judges and governors. Laws are in
place to protect Afghan women and their rights, and the Constitution
guarantees womens equality before the law, equal rights to education,
and womens right to work.

FRAGILE GAINS
By supporting the calls of Afghan womens rights activists and
organizations demanding change, the international community has played
a critical role in driving these gains. But more still needs to be done to
ensure that all Afghan women can enjoy their rights. There remains a very
real danger that complacency on the part of both the international
community and the Afghan government will undermine these efforts. This
would allow the gap between the rhetoric of the international community
and the reality for Afghan women to widen once more.
The risk of rollback is very real. Opposition in the Afghan Parliament to
the Elimination of Violence Against Women law; the continued existence
of entrenched cultural practices, such as baad (the exchange of women
to end family conflicts); the lowering of parliamentary quotas for womens
representation in provincial councils from 25 to 20 percent; former
President Hamid Karzais support of the Ulema councils non-binding
edict that women are worth less than men;1 and evidence of a shift
towards an increasingly conservative attitude towards womens rights in
some provincial areas; all point to the erosion of support for womens
rights, from village to national level.

BEHIND CLOSED DOORS

The new Afghan President Ashraf Ghani used his first day in office to call
on the Taliban to join peace talks,2 and the momentum towards a formal
political process is expected to build under the new government.3 But it is
far from clear whether Afghan women will be given a seat at the table in
these talks, and there are fears that womens rights may be bargained
away amid efforts to reach a peace settlement.
2

Despite past rhetoric, negotiations and peace talks to date have taken
place predominantly behind closed doors and without Afghan womens
knowledge, input or involvement. This has huge implications for the
safety and sanctity of womens rights in the future. All parties must
recognize that it is only peace efforts that include and protect women that
have any chance of succeeding in the long term.
At this critical point in Afghanistans history, it is crucial that Afghan
women are no longer sidelined. The exclusion of women will lead to an
imperfect and unsustainable peace. Evidence shows that, when women
are included in peace-building processes, the prospects for an end to
violence increase by 24 percent.4 Peace cannot be secured when
representatives of over half the population are excluded from the table
and cannot be sustained without women at its core.

INTERNATIONAL WITHDRAWAL
The long-awaited withdrawal of international forces from Afghanistan
must not be at the expense of the sweeping promises made to Afghan
women. The continued support of the international community is
essential to ensure that their rights are enhanced, not eroded, as they
threaten to be today.
Some members of the international community have indicated that any
changes to the Afghan Constitution, in which womens equality is
enshrined, would be a redline in negotiations with the Taliban. However,
in the absence of explicit guarantees that womens rights are nonnegotiable, fears remain that certain rights may prove dispensable, in
what are likely to be hard-fought and protracted efforts to reach a peace
agreement.
The Afghan Government and the international community must ensure
the rhetoric on womens rights matches the reality. This means
supporting womens meaningful participation in all peace process
initiatives, including through sustained support for womens organizations
and for womens capacity building to take part in high-level negotiations.
Without investment and further commitments to safeguard womens
rights, there is a very real risk that the hard-won gains of the last decade
will be lost.

RECOMMENDATIONS
The Afghan government should:
Involve women at all levels of decision making in both formal and
informal peace talks, including ensuring women are able to
meaningfully participate in high-level political negotiations with the
Taliban. This must be combined with ongoing assistance for women
negotiators to ensure they can meaningfully contribute.
A 30 percent minimum threshold should be established for
womens inclusion in the membership of all Afghan government
peace bodies, including the High Peace Council (HPC), provincial
peace councils and any bodies set up to replace them.
Commit to upholding the protection of womens rights enshrined
in the Afghan Constitution and should ensure womens
meaningful participation as a precondition for future talks with
the Taliban. The HPC, and any reformed or new body set up in its
place, should be tasked with upholding this commitment.
Ensure the soon to be established presidential womens advisory
board plays a decisive role in advising the President on all peace
and security matters, including modalities and representation in peace
talks.
Ensure the effective implementation and coordination of
Afghanistans National Action Plan on Women, Peace and
Security (NAP). An implementation plan for the NAP must be
developed as soon as possible, and a coordination and funding
mechanism must be established to ensure complementarity of effort
between government departments, donors and civil society.

Governments and donors should:

Advocate with Afghan stakeholders for Afghan women to be
meaningfully represented and their priorities fully reflected in any
peace negotiations. Inclusive peace building should be central to the
international communitys messages concerning the establishment of
a sustainable peace.
Provide substantial and sustained funding towards implementation
of the NAP. Improve donor coordination of international support through
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in close coordination with the Ministry of
Womens Affairs and other relevant ministries.

The Taliban (and other armed opposition

groups) should:
Support the meaningful inclusion of women at the negotiating
table, in order to increase the possibility of a lasting peace deal under
which Afghanistan can prosper. Since women constitute over 50
percent of the population, a long-term inclusive peace can only
succeed with the involvement of women, and consideration of
womens issues in discussions.
4

The United Nations should:

Continue to monitor peace processes and provide increased
technical support to the Afghan government for all negotiation,
reconciliation, and reintegration processes, particularly the
involvement of, and impact on, women.
Ensure that all UN supported reconciliation and reintegration
processes are explicitly linked to the promotion of womens
rights, including by ensuring women are actively involved in the
vetting of ex-combatants for reintegration into society. In particular,
take steps to improve the links between civil society and womens
local level peace-building efforts and the Afghanistan Peace and
Reintegration Programme.
Review progress in Afghanistan and include Afghan womens
views in the 2015 high-level review on implementation of UNSCR
1325 currently being commissioned by the UN Secretary-General.

1 INTRODUCTION
The plight of Afghan women and the systematic abuse of their rights at
the hands of the Taliban were cited as significant factors to afterwards
justify the international intervention in Afghanistan in 2001. Since then,
Afghan women have fought for and achieved a number of human rights
gains. The international community has supported their efforts by
providing funding and, when needed, by applying political pressure on
the Afghan government. As a consequence, womens rights have been
lauded as one of the most significant achievements of the international
intervention.
However, in recent years, some of these gains have been weakened by
conservative elements in Afghan society. While the election of a national
unity government and some positive signals that the countrys new
president, Ashraf Ghani, is committed to a better future for Afghan
women and girls are a cause for optimism, there are also significant risks
ahead.

There are so many

capable women ready
to take the important
decisions needed to
shape our countrys
future. We dont want
these matters being
decided for us behind
closed doors.
Samira Hamidi, Afghan
Womens Network5

With the national unity government in place and the majority of

international security forces leaving Afghanistan by the end of 2014,
peace talks are expected to resume with the Taliban. An analysis of the
peace process over the last decade reveals that, despite public rhetoric
from the international community and the Afghan government, women
have not been meaningfully involved in many of the high-level peace
talks with the Taliban. Many Afghan women are concerned that their
rights may be traded-away as part of a negotiated peace deal to end the
continuing conflict with the Taliban, unless the Afghan government and
the international community prioritize these during talks.6
This paper highlights some of the key gains made by Afghan women as a
result of support from the international community, and the recent
setbacks to their achievements. It urges the new Afghan government and
the international community to ensure that women are included in highlevel peace talks and that their rights are prioritized in discussions with
the Taliban.

PROGRESS
The advancement of womens rights in Afghanistan over the last 13
years can be demonstrated in a number of ways. Afghanistans first
Ministry of Womens Affairs (MOWA) was established in 2001. It
oversees the implementation of the National Action Plan for the Women
of Afghanistan (NAPWA), which aims to secure gender equality and
womens empowerment. Women have also taken on more prominent
positions in the running of their country. For example, there is a higher
proportion of female Members of Parliament (MPs) in Afghanistan (27.7
percent) than in the United Kingdom (22.6 percent) or in the US
Congress (18.3 percent).8

We have witnessed
many changes in the
past 13 years, but I
have to clearly state
that women's
participation has not
been adequate.
President Dr Ashraf
Ghani7

Other appointments of women to high-profile leadership positions include

the governor of Bamyan province and the head of the Afghan
Independent Human Rights Commission, and more women are being
promoted to senior positions within the Afghan National Police.9
Female education is also on the rise. Of the 8.3 million students in
schools across Afghanistan, nearly 40 percent are girls; a record high
and a dramatic improvement on the situation in 2001, when fewer than a
million students attended school, of which a negligible number were
girls.10 As well as education, womens access to healthcare has improved
dramatically. Between 2001 and 2012, womens life expectancy
increased from 56 to 62 years and women now outlive men by an
average of three years.11 The maternal mortality rate has dropped
considerably, from a staggering 49.4 percent in 2000 to 17.9 percent in
2013.12
Legislatively, there have also been gains. The rights of Afghan women
were enshrined in the 2004 Constitution, which guarantees women
equality before the law (Article 22), the right to an education (Articles 43
and 44) and the right to work (Article 48).13 The Elimination of Violence
Against Women (EVAW) law, enacted by a presidential decree in 2009,
was celebrated as a major step forward for womens rights.14 In 2003,
Afghanistan acceded to the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of
Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) without reservations and has
complied with the submission of subsequent progress reports.

ROLL BACK
Despite the significant achievements over the past decade, the new
found status of women in Afghan society remains extremely fragile.
Political, social and religious elements within Afghanistan have attempted
to reverse some of these advances and block the promotion of additional
rights. The Afghan Womens Network and Oxfams local partners, such
as the Research Institute for Women Peace and Security (RIWPS), have
expressed concerns about the loss of their hard-won freedoms.
The EVAW law is one such example of the perilous state of Afghan
womens political emancipation. While a step in the right direction, the
law is yet to be ratified by parliament and has been subjected to fierce
criticism by MPs, on the grounds that it contravenes Sharia law. In a
heated parliamentary debate in 2013 itself a sign of progress five
MPs argued that both early and forced marriage should not be
considered crimes, womens shelters should be abolished, women
should be required to secure their husbands approval in order to work,
and the conditions imposed by EVAW on multiple marriages should be
removed.15
Even if the EVAW law remains intact and is ratified in the future, this may
not be enough to win over strong parliamentary opposition against more
womens rights. A previous Oxfam briefing paper on Afghan women and
the police stressed that, while the historic 2009 EVAW law criminalized
child marriage, forced marriage, rape and other violent acts against
7

women and girls, few women are able to report such crimes as long as
there are insufficient women working in the Afghan National Police
Force.16
In 2012, the highest religious council in Afghanistan issued a non-binding
edict stating that women were second-class citizens, which was
subsequently endorsed by President Karzai.17 Though it was later
reversed as a result of international pressure, that same year, President
Karzai attempted to bring all womens shelters under the control of the
government; a strategy interpreted as a gesture to the Taliban that
womens rights would be up for negotiation in future talks.18
Significantly, ahead of the 2014 provincial elections, the Afghan
parliament reduced the quota for female provincial council members from
25 to 20 percent. This amendment effectively reduced the political
participation of women at the local level, and was far from transparent, as
Executive Director of RIWPS Wazhma Frogh describes: this was done
by the parliament in secret, and civil society and womens organizations
were not consulted.19 Despite the quota, 12 percent of the 2,595
provincial council candidates were women.20
Female politicians were conspicuous by their absence in talks to secure
a power-sharing agreement and to form a national unity government,
which again demonstrates that women political participation is still far
from becoming the norm.
Earlier in 2014, the Afghan parliament passed a law to ban relatives from
testifying against one another, which was internationally condemned as
the de facto legalization of domestic violence. The law was subsequently
blocked by President Hamid Karzai.22

INSECURITY AND RISK

Attacks on female politicians and other public figures continue to
escalate, and the lives of Afghan women leaders are increasingly at risk.
In 2012, the provincial head of MOWA, Hanifa Safi, was killed after a
bomb attached to her car exploded,23 and only six months later her
successor, Najia Sidiqi, was shot and killed on her way to work.24
Prominent policewomen also continue to be targeted, with several
murdered in Helmand province in late 2013.25 Threats and intimidation
are also employed against women in public office, as in the publication
by the Taliban on the eve of the presidential election in April 2014 of the
names of hundreds of female police officers.26
Oxfams local partner Peace Training and Research Organization
(PTRO) conducted a survey in 2012 to identify the principal challenges of
the peace process. They found that women in some of the more insecure
provinces were twice as likely to fear restrictions on their rights than the
male population.27 Such fears are well-founded, given the rising level of
insecurity across the country.

Afghan women have

not had a voice in this
process. Power
structures have been
decided among the two
candidates. Where are
the female politicians
and roles for women?
Were worried that in
the next cabinet we
might not even have the
three female ministers
that we have now out
of 26 ministers.
Wazhma Frogh,
Executive Director,
RIWPS21

Furthermore, entrenched cultural practices continue to violate womens

rights in Afghanistan. As documented in a 2010 UN report, practices
such as honour killings and baad (the exchange of women to end family
conflicts) continue to damage gender equality in Afghanistan.28 Some
parliamentarians have even called for the reinstatement of stoning as a
punishment for adultery.29 Persistent negative social norms and attitudes
continue to hinder the translation of constitutional rights for women into
reality.
The above examples demonstrate the clear need for the Afghan
government and the international community to take steps to prevent any
further roll back and to continue to advance womens rights and
participation. The inclusion of women in peace talks and a renewed,
public commitment to womens rights in the peace process would
constitute a significant statement of intent in securing these twin goals.

2 WOMENS RIGHTS IN
AFGHANISTAN: THE
POLITICAL RHETORIC
Since the fall of the Taliban in 2001, the international community and the
Afghan government have publicly reiterated the importance of womens
representation and participation in public office. Both the US and the UK
have issued statements urging those conducting peace talks to actively
involve women in the peace process.
Box 1: International rhetoric regarding womens rights in Afghanistan

10

The fight against terrorism is also a fight for the rights and dignity of
women.' Laura Bush, former US First Lady, weekly presidential radio
31
address on Taliban oppression in Afghanistan, November 2001
The rights of the women in Afghanistan will not be negotiable. Colin
Powell, former US Secretary of State, speech at the Eisenhower
32
Executive Office Building, November 2001
There cannot be true peace and recovery in Afghanistan without a
restoration of the rights of women. Kofi Annan, former UN Secretary33
General, Afghan Womens Summit for Democracy, December 2001
We will not abandon you, we will stand with you always (...) [it is]
essential that womens rights and womens opportunities are not
sacrificed or trampled in the reconciliation process. Hillary Clinton,
former US Secretary of State, speaking to female Afghan officials,
34
2010
It is consistent with our best values as a nation to back efforts to
remove an oppressive regime and to help establish a freer and fairer
society in Afghanistan especially for women. Tony Abbott, Australian
35
Prime Minister, parliamentary statement on Afghanistan, 2012
Afghanistans full potential cannot, nor will not be achieved, without the
full participation of all of its citizens. Ambassador Michael Grant, Deputy
Permanent Representative of Canada to the United Nations,
36
International Womens Day Celebration, March 2013
I recognize that both the transition as international forces leave and the
prospect of peace negotiations create uncertainty. I can understand
those feelings are particularly acute for Afghan women, who remember
so vividly the injustices of the past and are so affected by the horrors of
conflict. But President Karzai has made clear that a peace process in
Afghanistan must work in the interests of Afghan women, not against
them. Nic Hailey, former Acting British Ambassador to Afghanistan,
37
International Womens Day celebration, March 2013

No lasting peace can

be achieved after
conflict unless the
needs of women are
met not only justice
for the victims of crimes
of war, but their active
involvement in creating
a society in which their
rights are respected and
their voices are
heard.30
William Hague MP, UK
Foreign Secretary (2010
2014)

RHETORIC BY THE
INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY
The importance of womens rights was emphasized at the very first Bonn
conference on Afghanistan in 2001. The international community met
with important Afghan stakeholders, though not the Taliban, to agree on
provisions to guarantee womens participation in rebuilding Afghanistans
institutions and government.38
More recently, at the second Bonn conference in 2011, Canadian,
European and Indian government representatives made forceful
statements concerning the need to support women's rights as part of the
transition and peace process in Afghanistan.39 The concluding resolution
at the conference reaffirmed that the human rights and fundamental
freedoms enshrined in the Afghan Constitution, including the rights of
women and children, as well as a thriving and free civil society, are key
for Afghanistans future.40 It also made specific reference to the peace
and reconciliation process and its outcomes, which, it concluded, must
be based on respect for the Afghan Constitution, including its human
rights provisions, notably the rights of women.41
Calls to facilitate the participation of women in the peace process are
given further weight by the UN Security Council Resolution 1325
(UNSCR 1325). UNSCR 1325 reaffirms the important role women play in
the prevention and resolution of conflicts. This role was further confirmed
at the Tokyo Conference on Afghanistan in 2012, at which participating
countries stressed the importance of womens organizations in support
of the peace process and the culture of peace and human rights in
Afghan society (...).42
Box 2: United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1325
The resolution on women, peace and security was adopted by the UN
Security Council on 31 October 2000. The resolution highlights the
important role women have to play, and the importance of adopting a
gender perspective in the prevention and resolution of conflicts, peace
negotiations, peace-building, peacekeeping, post-conflict reconstruction
and humanitarian response.
Besides advocating womens equal participation and full inclusion in peace
and security efforts, the resolution calls on all actors to protect women and
girls from gender-based violence in armed conflict.
Significantly, this mechanism places an obligation on donor governments,
as well as parties to the conflict, to include women in the process to
establish peace and security. Furthermore, all actors must adopt a gender
perspective when negotiating and implementing peace agreements, and
any settlement reached must make provision for relevant gender issues.
Subsequent UNSC resolutions which reinforce 1325 include 1820, 1888,
1889, 1960, 2106, and 2122, which comprise the international policy
framework for women, peace and security. Member states have a
responsibility to implement all these resolutions, in conjunction with UN
agencies and civil society who are critical partners.

11

Prominent leaders have also reaffirmed their commitment to upholding

womens rights in the countrys peace and reconciliation process.
Following talks between US President Barack Obama and then President
Karzai, the US president acknowledged the provisions within the
Afghanistan Constitution that protect the rights of women, but warned of
the dangers inherent in any failure to implement them: We will continue
to voice very strongly support for the Afghan Constitution, its protection of
minorities, its protection of women. And we think that a failure to provide
that protection not only will make reconciliation impossible to achieve, but
also would make Afghanistan's long-term development impossible to
achieve.43
The former UK Foreign Secretary, William Hague, has taken a similar
line, expressing his disappointment that women and womens groups still
have to ask to be included at the negotiating table, as if it were a
concession to be granted, or a right to be begrudgingly accorded, when
in fact it is the only route to better decisions and stronger and safer
societies.44
Box 3: Afghan womens responses to the rhetoric of the international
community

There is a lack of commitment by the international community. At the

start of the war they talked about the importance of Afghan womens
rights. All the gains we have made are very fragile. We can lose them
easily without their support. Now they are saying leave everything to the
Afghans and Afghan women can defend their rights. Yesterday, they
were bold in their statements, but today they are quiet. Farkhunda
Zahra Naderi, a lawmaker representing Kabul in the Afghan
45
Parliament
They talk about an inclusive process, but they are making their own
secret deals while pouring dust on our eyes. We dont even know what
is being discussed. I have always been meeting with western officials to
raise my concern about women in Afghanistan. But I feel that we have
always been used by the international community for their own
purposes. When they come here they always meet us and we run to
them with our concerns. They use the meetings to show the world and
say: look, we met with the women of Afghanistan and these are their
concerns. Selay Ghaffar, spokesperson of the Solidarity Party,
46
Afghanistan
We should be a top priority and we should be at the negotiating table
were 50 percent of the population (). But we need the support of the
international community to get there. Mary Akrami, executive director,
47
Afghan Womens Skills and Development Centre (AWSDC)

In spite of this rhetoric, women have been notably absent from a number
of prominent international meetings. Not a single Afghan woman was
invited to attend the international conference on Afghanistan hosted by
the British government in 2010.48 At the time of writing this paper, it is
unclear whether the Afghan delegation to the London Conference on
Afghanistan (LCA) taking place on 4 December 2014 will include a
significant number of female Afghan representatives to break this trend.
Nevertheless, from the sponsored civil society representatives that will

12

take part in this conference, 45 percent are expected to be women, which

is a positive development.49
NATOs record is little better, with only one Afghan woman represented
at both the 2012 Summit in Chicago50 and at a subsequent Summit
hosted by the UK in September 2014.51 In addition to this lack of
representation, gender issues were also marginalized at the Summit, with
no forum for women to share their insights on peace and security
concerns or the violence they face, and a planned discussion of NATOs
action plan on women, peace and security was dropped from the agenda
of the Afghanistan session.52
There is evidence to suggest that diplomatic pressure to improve
womens participation at such international talks does bear results,
however, as at the second Bonn conference in 2011, when Afghan
women did account for 22 percent of the delegation, due in part to
pressure applied to the Afghan government by the international
community.54

RHETORIC BY AFGHAN
OFFICIALS
The Afghan government has repeatedly and publicly voiced its support
for womens rights. The Tokyo Declaration issued at the Tokyo
Conference included commitments to protect womens rights and to
involve womens groups in the peace process.56 More recently, at the
Universal Periodic Review Session hosted by the UN in January 2014,
Afghanistan accepted several recommendations for the advancement of
womens rights, including the steady enforcement and implementation of
measures and legislation designed to promote and protect womens
rights.57 In March 2014, in response to an initiative by the HPC that
attracted the signatures of 250,000 Afghan women demanding peace,
President Karzai called on the Taliban to respect their demands: Taliban,
who call themselves son of this soil, should respect their mothers and
sisters outcry for peace and this way seek maintaining [sic] peace and
stability in the country.58
The degree to which such commitments to Afghan women are respected
will largely depend on the measures taken by the newly elected Afghan
government. Encouragingly, the newly elected President Ashraf Ghani
and his closest rival in the 2014 election campaign, Dr Abdullah
Abdullah, both featured the importance of womens rights prominently in
their campaigns.
Both signed a petition from the Afghan Womens Network (see Annex I)
that highlights policy areas and 30 recommendations for the
empowerment of women and girls in Afghanistan, including their
involvement in political leadership and peace and security.59

A womans perspective
on peace is crucial. We
need women to
continue to actively
participate in the
economy and the
politics of the country,
and we need to arrive at
an enduring peace
together.
President Dr. Ashraf
Ghani53

I hope that enough will

be made not only to
train young urban
women, but also to
attract their educated
sisters in the provinces.
Rula Ghani,
Afghanistans first lady55

13

In the run up to the election, President Ghani promised to appoint the

countrys first ever female Supreme Court Justice, and even persuaded
religious clerics to issue an edict to the effect that women had a duty to
vote.
First Lady Rula Ghani publicly campaigned alongside President Ghani
and is now playing an active role in advancing womens rights issues
publicly, including in launching USAIDs Promote programme. Rula
Ghani has a significantly higher profile than former President Karzais
wife, Zinat Karzai, who has been referred to as Afghanistans invisible
first lady as a result of her relative absence from public life.61
Furthermore since coming to office President Ghani has stated his
intention to establish a presidential womens advisory board consisting of
30 womens rights advocates and experts from across the country. These
are indeed positive signs, and it is hoped that such measures will be fully
implemented.
The national unity government, with support from the international
community, must ensure that women are not sidelined, and their rights
not traded off, in any negotiations with the Taliban.
In addition to the above commitments, the Afghan government and the
international community must demonstrate a willingness to include
women at the negotiating table and ensure that their rights remain on the
agenda of any subsequent peace talks. Fears that the rights of women
will be rescinded in efforts to appease the Taliban have been stoked by
the clandestine nature of these talks; it is essential that measures are
seen to be implemented to ensure that the public rhetoric on womens
rights is matched by the political decision making behind closed doors.

14

Of all the risks involved

in reconciliation, of all
the areas where there
might be compromises,
the issue of womens
rights and freedoms is
probably one that I am
most concerned about.
It is a clear area of
vulnerability because
leaders on various sides
are all men, and there is
little evidence of any
genuine interest in
strengthening the rights
and opportunities of
Afghan women, or
involving them in a
political process.
Matt Waldman,
Associate Fellow,
Chatham House60

3 WOMENS
PARTICIPATION IN
PEACE TALKS
The Afghan government and the international community have been
holding discussions with the Taliban since at least 2005, yet Afghan women
have only been marginally represented in these negotiations (see Annex II
for a timeline of formal and informal peace negotiations). This section
discusses the high-level meetings between the international community and
the Taliban, as well as efforts by Afghan officials to engage in talks with the
Taliban. Throughout both these processes womens inclusion has been
confined to two meetings held in the Maldives and three in France, which
are often referred to as the intra-Afghan dialogue. While women are
included in the government-appointed HPC, female members have had
little more than a symbolic role. Their peace-making efforts, such as the
collection of a quarter of a million womens signatures calling for peace
have been welcomed by the international community, but their actual
inclusion and participation in high level peace talks has been absent.

INTERNATIONALLY BROKERED
TALKS WITH THE TALIBAN

Afghan Womens
Network has made
repeated requests to be
at the negotiating table
because we do not want
our rights to be
sacrificed. We are not
included in any talks.
We always find out after
the meetings that there
was contact but no one
tells us what was
discussed.
Lida Nadery, the Afghan
Womens Network
(AWN) 62

The Taliban and UN Special Representative for Afghanistan Kai Eide met in
Dubai in spring 2009, and, following the presidential elections, resumed
talks in early 2010. However, the process stalled when Mullah Abdul Ghani
Baradar, a senior Taliban commander, was arrested in Pakistan in 2010.
The first breakthrough in talks with the Taliban came when Germanys
foreign ministry and intelligence agency organized a meeting between US
delegates and Taliban officials near Munich in November 2010. Tayyab
Agha, a representative of the Taliban commander Mullah Omar, was flown
to Munich, accompanied by two close associates.63 The US delegation
consisted of diplomats from the State Department and intelligence officials.
Qatari officials were also present at the talks, which lasted for 11 hours.64
The second round of talks between the US and Taliban officials was held in
Qatar in February 2011,65 with a third round organized in Munich three
months later.
In early 2012, Marc Grossman, the US Special Representative for
Afghanistan and Pakistan, met with Taliban officials during a visit to Qatar.66
According to former Taliban officials, four to eight Taliban representatives
travelled to Qatar from Pakistan.67 The Taliban announced they had struck
a deal to open a political office in Qatar that would allow direct negotiations
to end the conflict in Afghanistan.68 However, by March 2012, the talks had
broken down, as a result of the failure to agree the fate of five Taliban
prisoners at Guantnamo Bay. The Taliban accused the American
negotiators of being shaky, erratic and vague, whereas an American

Participation of women
in peace talks is an
absolute red line. 1325
is essential, it is like
food and water for us.
Khojesta Fana
Ebrahimkhel, Director
General, Human Rights
and Womens
International Affairs,
MOFA

15

official argued that the primary cause for the breakdown had been internal
rifts within the insurgency.69
An effort to resume talks between the Taliban and US officials was
scheduled for June 2013 in Qatar. In the first instance, US officials
arranged to meet with the Taliban to explore mutual agendas.70 Initial
talks with the US were to be followed by discussions between the Taliban
and Afghan government officials. But the talks never materialized because
of a diplomatic row that ensued immediately after the official opening of
the Talibans Qatari office. The display of the Talibans flag and a sign
saying Political Office of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, the name
used by the Taliban when they ran Afghanistan, infuriated Afghan officials,
who then threatened not to send a delegation to Qatar.71

AFGHAN GOVERNMENTS
CONTACT WITH THE TALIBAN
High-level talks between the Afghan government and members of the
Taliban have been reported as early as 2005. Since then the two parties
have held talks in Saudi Arabia, the Maldives, France, Japan and the
UAE, yet the only meetings known to have included Afghan women were
those held in the Maldives and France.
Three rounds of talks occurred in the Maldives in 2010, following a
proposal by Homayoun Jarir, son-in-law of Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, leader
of the political party, Hezb-e-Islami, and funded by Afghan businessmen.
Although President Karzai rejected the talks, he sent close personal
advisors to all three rounds as observers.72 The first round was attended
by men only, and the second was attended by one female Afghan MP. At
the third round in late 2010, four female Afghan MPs participated,73 which
constituted less than 10 percent of the total participants. Even this minimal
level of representation was not welcomed by all the attendees, and one
male Afghan government delegate told a BBC reporter that the women
should not have been present at the talks unless they were accompanied
by their husbands or close male family members.74
From the end of 2011 to the end of 2012, a French government-funded
think tank called the Foundation for Strategic Studies hosted three rounds
of talks to promote an intra-Afghan dialogue which became known as the
Chantilly talks. The Taliban sent representatives to the third round of
these talks in December 2012. The discussions involved around 20
Afghans, only two of whom were women.
Farkhunda Zahra Naderi, an Afghan parliamentarian, was present at all
three rounds of talks. She says that the Chantilly talks showed that
womens participation at the peace table is possible with the Taliban, if
those who mediate the discussions prioritize it: They [the Chantilly talks]
were informal discussions and it was a good effort to bring everyone
together. We need to have more talks like the ones in France. These talks
were more successful than big and formal conferences because they
brought the Taliban around the same table as women.75

16

While Afghan women such as Ms Naderi have expressed the need to

attend talks similar to the ones at Chantilly, the international community
has not facilitated any further such meetings. One reason for this is
offered by Nader Nadery, an Afghan participant at the talks: We had talks
at Chantilly, but we were not able to have more because Karzai had a
reaction to it. He is so paranoid about any talks that take place about the
Constitution in his absence.76 It is hoped that President Ashraf Ghani will
encourage womens participation in talks with the Taliban concerning the
future governance of the country, and that the international community will
support such a dialogue.

HIGH PEACE COUNCIL

In June 2010, a Peace Jirga hosted by the Afghan government and
attended by approximately 1,600 people, of which 300 were women,
endorsed President Karzais plans to negotiate with the Taliban.77 That
September, President Karzai formed the High Peace Council (HPC) to
seek peace talks with the Taliban.78 But since only nine out of 70
appointed members (around 13 percent) are women, they are vastly
outnumbered by their male counterparts. One female member, Gulali
Noor Safi, has complained that women within the HPC have been
sidelined from major consultations and decision making: We are trying to
be involved in the peace process but in my opinion, most of the time we're
not included in major discussions.79
The role of women members in the HPC has been criticized by womens
rights activists, one of whom, Selay Ghaffar, argues: If you look at women
who are in the HPC, they are passive. They do not play a real role; it is
just symbolic so everyone can say look we have women in the HPC.
This is how they are cheating the people of Afghanistan.80
Members of the HPC include former Taliban warlords who are alleged to
have committed human rights violations after the fall of the Soviet-backed
government in Afghanistan in 1992. Ms Ghaffar argues that this
undermines its legitimacy: As far as women are concerned, the
establishment of the HPC was a big mistake. How can you establish a
peace council that consists of people who have committed so many
crimes in the past?
While it is true that, by their nature, peace processes often include parties
that have committed some level of human rights violations in conflict, it is
not unreasonable for Afghan women to harbour a degree of scepticism
regarding the HPCs interest in pursuing womens rights when negotiating
with the Taliban.

17

4 PRIORITIZING
WOMENS RIGHTS IN
PEACE TALKS
Owing to the sensitive nature of the talks with the Taliban, there is very
limited information in the public domain about their substance, but from
what is known, it is clear that womens rights have been a low priority.

AGENDA OF THE TALKS

The agenda of any dialogue with the Taliban, whether formal or informal,
direct or indirect, forms part of the peace negotiations. Every moment is
an opportunity for the Afghan government and the international
community to promote and protect the gains made in the last 13 years.
While these talks may not officially be regarded as formal negotiations,
they have certainly laid the groundwork to bring both sides a step closer
to a peace settlement. As such, they represent a missed opportunity to
include women in the agenda of the wider peace process.
During the German-mediated talks between the US and the Taliban in
2010 and 2011, the following issues were discussed:
the release of five Taliban prisoners held at Guantanamo Bay in
exchange for a US soldier detained by the Taliban;
the establishment of an office from which the Taliban could conduct
their political affairs;
the removal of Taliban members from the UNs blacklist; and
a complete withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan.82
The US accepted the Talibans first three requests and the International
Security Assistance Force (ISAF) mission formally ends on 31 December
2014. However, under the terms of a bilateral security agreement signed
by the US and Afghanistan in September 2014, US and NATO troops
can remain in Afghanistan until 2024. Efforts to open an office for the
Taliban in Qatar were made, and the office opened, albeit briefly, in the
summer of 2013. And in June 2014, President Obama made the
executive decision to release the five Taliban prisoners in exchange for a
US soldier detained by the Taliban.83
In addition, the UN, after intense lobbying by the UK, revised the UN
sanctions regime in June 2011, so that the Afghan Taliban would be
treated separately from al-Qaeda and other groups thought to be
involved in international terrorism. The UN has since made further
concessions, including the removal of 15 individuals from the sanctions
list,84 which enabled Taliban members to travel abroad for peace talks.85

18

I am not optimistic at
all. We do not know the
agenda of the talks and
this worries all women
in Afghanistan.
Suraya Parlika, Nobel
Peace Prize Nominee
and member of the
upper house of the
Afghan Parliament81

The extent of these efforts to accommodate the Taliban in exploratory

talks and formal negotiations has made many in Afghanistan question
what else may be conceded in any future political settlement. There is
growing concern among Afghan women that their rights will be
compromised as part of a negotiated peace deal. It is the duty of the
international community that this does not happen.
There are differences of opinion about womens rights among various
factions of the Taliban, and divisions within the leadership make
negotiations particularly problematic. A US State Department official
confirmed in an interview in 2014 that such divisions exist, and the lack of
clarity over which of the key decision makers within the Taliban hold the
balance of power makes any efforts to negotiate a less conservative
position with regard to womens rights fraught with even greater
difficulty.86

THE CONSTITUTION AND

WOMENS RIGHTS
The Afghan Constitution is particularly important for Afghan women as it
guarantees them equality before the law, the right to an education and
the right to work. However, Taliban representatives at the Chantilly talks
have criticized the current Constitution, 87 and many fear that their
demands for a new Constitution will undermine these hard-won rights.
Nader Nadery, the director of the Afghan Research and Evaluation Unit,
was a participant at the Chantilly talks, and is one of those concerned:
The Afghan Constitution must be safeguarded. The redlines are
defined by the Constitution itself. The Afghan government and its
international partners have used legal and non-violent means to
promote values such as freedom, womens rights and a democratic
process. To defend and protect these gains, the Afghan
government and the international community should be more vocal
about these issues when talking with the Taliban. If we speak from
a position of weakness, we have to give in to the demands of the
Taliban and that means undermining the Constitution.88
One Afghan participant at the Chantilly talks, who does not wish to be
named, says:
The Taliban stated at Chantilly that they do not accept the
Constitution because it was drafted by foreigners. Yes, there were
foreign advisors when we were drafting it, but the main body was
drafted by Afghans. The international communitys priority should
be to get the Taliban to accept the Constitution and the political
process [of elections]. This will guarantee the rights of women and
prevent any roll back of the gains made.89
While at Chantilly, the Taliban demanded a new Constitution based on
principles of noble Islam, national interest and historical achievements,90
however, the Taliban have yet to clarify how exactly they would like the
Constitution to be changed.
19

REDLINES
Afghan human rights activists have expressed concern about the lack of
preconditions to any talks with the Taliban. As one activist, Ahmad Fahim
Hakim says,
Peace talks with the Taliban lack redlines, clear policy and
transparency. Most importantly, there is an absence of guarantees,
or even emphasis, on the part of the leadership and government
authorities about the importance and protection of human rights,
justice, and ending the culture of impunity through these peace
negotiations. These factors are especially worrying for women's
rights and civil society institutions.91
For their part, US officials have regularly cited three redlines as
preconditions to any talks. First, the Taliban must renounce violence;
second, it must break ties with al-Qaeda; and third, it must adhere to the
Afghan Constitution, particularly the rights of women and minorities.
While there is some disagreement by experts on the imposition of
redlines, the US has nevertheless repeatedly referred to them in their
public rhetoric and must ensure that they make good on these
commitments and do not waiver.
In 2011, former Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, hailed as a champion
for promoting womens rights in Afghanistan, said that insurgents must
abide by the Constitution of Afghanistan, including its protections for
women and minorities as one of the necessary outcomes of any
negotiation.92
That same year, during an Oxfam interview, a US embassy official in
Kabul confirmed that guarantees for womens rights would not be a
precondition for any negotiation: We do recognize the need for
protection of womens rights. But we cant impose this as a prenegotiation redline because that will be counter-productive in getting to
talks. Womens issues are important, but they are not our top priority.93
Farid Hamidi, Deputy Chair of the Afghan Independent Human Rights
Commission, says that preconditions to talks should be formally agreed
among international partners: The US, the UK and the rest of Europe
should have something on paper stating their preconditions for any
negotiations. If the international community were to give something in
writing then it would ensure that they are not able to shift their stance so
easily.94 Any such written declaration would also give the women of
Afghanistan some much-needed clarity in terms of the international
communitys priorities.

20

5 DONOR FUNDING
Development aid for Afghanistan is predicated on an agreement of
mutual accountability, which enables donors to use funding to ensure
that the Afghan government meets its international obligations.
Contained within this agreement are both the NAPWA and the EVAW
law; as a result, donors have a mandate to make funding conditional on
the upholding of womens rights and the prominence of gender issues.
Too often, however, conditionality has not been used to promote gender
issues. When the Afghan government failed to meet the July 2013
deadline set under the mutual accountability framework for a report on
the application of the EVAW law across Afghanistan, international donors
voiced criticisms, but did not suspend their funding. The report was not
delivered until January 2014, and the lack of meaningful sanctions for
such a delay signals to the Afghan government that they will not be held
to account if they do not prioritize womens issues.
While donors have invested large sums of money in the promotion of
womens programmes across Afghanistan as part of their commitments
to womens rights, the focus has been on hard deliverables such as
schools and health care centres, rather than on efforts to facilitate
womens greater inclusion in public life in general, and in the peace
process in particular.
Much more investment is needed to support womens political and
economic empowerment, and in this respect USAIDs Promote
programme launched on 8 November 2014 is an important initiative.
Backed by a $216m funding commitment over five years, the programme
is a joint endeavour by the US and Afghan governments to promote the
inclusion of women among a new generation of Afghan leaders in the
political, economic and civil society sectors. The largest womens
empowerment programme in US history, it focuses on four pillars: the
development of womens leadership, the inclusion of women in
government, the empowerment of women in the economy, and the
strengthening of capacity and influence of women activists and womens
rights organizations. Other donors will hopefully join this endeavour to
further increase the size, scope and impact of the programme. However, it
is crucial that large-scale programmes, like Promote, are monitored and
critically evaluated to ensure they deliver real results for women.

INVESTING IN WOMENS PEACE

EFFORTS
Donors have also provided funds for government-led peace and
reconciliation efforts that have not ensured womens participation, including
funding the HPC, which is tasked with overseeing peace negotiations and
has councils at provincial level. In 2012, it was reported that the HPC
received up to $157m from international donors, but was not required to
maintain a gender balance among its members.95 Women also remain

21

under-represented in provincial peace councils, with between two and five

women per council (out of a total of 20 to 30 members).
The broader Afghanistan Peace and Reintegration Programme (APRP)
receives funding from a variety of donors, including the US, the UK, Japan,
Australia and Germany. Donors have pledged $220m for this programme,
which began in August 2010 and is set to run until July 2015. In 2013 the
expenditure was $65.3m.96 UNDP also provides technical support to the
programme. The APRP is overseen by the HPC and reaches out to
insurgents to encourage their reintegration though disarmament activities,
the provision of transitional financial assistance, livelihoods skills building
and development programmes for communities.
However, womens participation in the formal processes of the APRP
remains extremely limited. Recent research by PTRO suggests that
women were not empowered to accept or reject the reintegration of
insurgents at the local level. Female participation is often taboo, there is a
lack of awareness around womens rights, and there are cultural barriers
preventing women from playing a bigger role in this area.97
In addition to direct funding to the HPC and APRP programmes, many
donors have provided assistance for grassroots peace-building activities,
such as the EU-funded Oxfam project Building Afghan Peace Locally,
which provides training to civil society organizations in peace building and
encourages peace councils to include women in their efforts.
Oxfams Building Afghan Peace Locally project
Financed by the EU, the Building Afghan Peace Locally (BAPL) project was
a three-year project that started in January 2011. Currently under
evaluation to see how it can be continued, the project aimed to contribute
to long-term peace in Afghanistan by facilitating more effective resolution
and mitigation of local-level conflicts, while enhancing the status and
inclusion of women. It targeted both men and women, in 80 communities in
eight districts across Paktia, Bamyan, Takhar and Faryab provinces.
Implementing partners have established trained, mentored and empowered
77 community-based peace committees and eight district-level peace
councils. They have also coordinated with provincial peace councils.
An evaluation survey of project participants shows that 87 percent of those
surveyed believed that initiatives such as BAPL can contribute to peace
building in Afghanistan. Womens peace councils also enjoyed recognition
and support from their communities. At the end of projects initial duration,
there were a total of 1,311 peace committee members and 211 peace
council members. The number of female members in the former group was
28 percent, while the number of women in peace councils was 9 percent.
Ninety percent of those surveyed at the end of the project had confidence
that their case would be resolved in a fair manner and a high percentage
reported an awareness of the inclusivity of the peace councils. The number
of community dispute cases resolved by the peace councils consistently
increased from 2011, peaking at 585 cases resolved in 2013. Since the
project began, the peace councils had resolved a total of 1,288 cases.
Ninety percent of those surveyed in Takhar were very satisfied with the
work of the peace councils, alongside 87 percent in Paktia, 81 percent in
Faryab, and 73 percent in Bamyan.

22

Programmes like this demonstrate that with international support, local

peace-building initiatives can generate real change from the ground up,
and can establish crucial links with government-initiated peace and
reconciliation processes.

Many other organizations receive bilateral support from international

donors, including prominent organizations working on womens participation
such as the National Democratic Institute (NDI). In 2010, the Canadian
International Development Agency supported NDI to organize a PostPeace Jirga Symposium of Afghan Women, at which 73 women attended
from across 33 provinces. The women stated in their conclusions:
Women, who represent half of the population in Afghanistan and 58
percent of eligible voters in the country, demand to be a party
sufficiently represented in any future peace negotiations. They insist
on the precondition that peace cannot be negotiated at the cost of
diminishing womens rights.98
Ultimately it is the womens rights activists and organizations at local and
national levels that will provide the pressure needed to advance the
realization of womens rights in Afghanistan over the long term. Therefore,
civil society organizations, and womens organizations in particular, will
require sustained funding from the international community over the
coming years. This will help to develop womens capacities so they are
better equipped to contribute to peace and reconciliation efforts and to
continue to exert pressure on the government, the Taliban and the
international community, to sustain womens issues as a priority of any
future government.
To this end, additional training in negotiation and communication skills
should be provided to Afghan women, such as that conducted by civil
society organizations including Oxfams local partner RIWPS. RIWPS hosts
mock discussions between women and former members of the Taliban
administration with a view to building womens confidence and providing
them with the tools to demonstrate why a peace process must be inclusive.
Such organizations can also play a critical role in working with communities
to promote positive social norms on gender equality and womens rights.
The UK Department for International Development, alongside Nordic civil
society organizations, has provided 31.68m to fund the Tawanmandi Civil
Society Strengthening programme, which focuses on peace building and
conflict resolution. Over 400 peace councils have been established locally
in nine provinces, including 80 women-only peace councils. The
programme has been running since 2011 and is set to finish in 2015; it is
unclear whether or not it will be extended.
As the peace process evolves under President Ghani, ongoing financial
support from the international community will be required to address
barriers to Afghan womens participation and to support women to gain the
skills to negotiate in peace processes at local and national levels. Linking
local and national level peace efforts will be vital in securing a sustainable
peace. Having intervened in Afghanistan in 2001, donors have a
responsibility to use their influence to insist on the participation and inclusion
of women in the peace process to promote and protect womens rights.
23

6 CONCLUSIONS
Although significant advances in womens rights have been achieved in
many areas of Afghan society since the fall of the Taliban regime, the
ongoing status of these rights remains fragile. Women still struggle to
contribute to and participate in the peace negotiations and this should be
of great concern to the international community.
Women must make up at least 30 percent of the leadership positions
involved in Afghanistans political process.99 The international community
in general, continue to exert influence over the terms of any peace
settlement and must use this to ensure womens meaningful participation
in peace talks. This participation should not be symbolic, but should
rather be regarded as a key condition for effective peace talks that can
result in a sustainable peace agreement.
The international community must stand by its commitment to Afghan
women and the new Afghan government must prove that promises made
in the run up to the elections will be fulfilled. As the new Afghan
government takes shape and the Taliban are once again allowed to the
negotiating table, it is more important than ever that women are given a
more prominent role in deciding their own fate and that of their
daughters, in order to ensure that womens rights do not become
sidelined in the negotiation process.

The Afghan government should:

Involve women at all levels of decision making in both formal
and informal peace talks, including ensuring women are able to
meaningfully participate in high-level political negotiations with the
Taliban. This must be combined with ongoing assistance for
women negotiators to ensure they can meaningfully contribute.
Establish a 30 percent minimum threshold for womens
inclusion in the membership of all Afghan Government peace
bodies, including the HPC, provincial peace councils and any
bodies set up to replace them.
Commit to upholding the protection of womens rights
enshrined in the Afghan Constitution and should ensure
womens meaningful participation as a precondition for future
talks with the Taliban. The HPC or any reformed or new body set
up in its place should be tasked to uphold this commitment.
Ensure the soon to be established presidential womens
advisory board plays a decisive role in advising the President
on all peace and security matters, including modalities and
representation in peace talks.
Integrate high-levels talks with community reconciliation as an
essential element of efforts to secure an inclusive and meaningful
peace. Women who are playing an important role in local peacebuilding efforts should be involved in broader national efforts.
Publish and share public annual reports on progress toward
the fulfilment of obligations to Afghan women and girls that
are enshrined in international treaties to which Afghanistan is a
party, including CEDAW and the Convention on the Rights of the
Child.
24

Ensure the effective implementation and coordination of

Afghanistans National Action Plan (NAP) on Women, Peace
and Security. An implementation plan for the NAP must be
developed as soon as possible, and a coordination and funding
mechanism to ensure complementarity of efforts between
government departments, donors and civil society must be
established. Each Afghan government ministry with responsibilities
in the plan must allocate a budget towards implementation, and a
robust system for monitoring line-ministries implementation of the
NAP must be developed in consultation with civil society.

Governments and donors should:

Advocate with Afghan stakeholders for Afghan women to be
meaningfully represented and their priorities fully reflected in
any peace negotiations. Inclusive peace building should be
central to the international communitys messages concerning the
establishment of a sustainable peace.
Provide substantial and sustained funding towards
implementation of the NAP. This should include improved donor
coordination of international support through the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs, in close coordination with the Ministry of Womens
Affairs and other relevant ministries.
Publicly call for any political settlement in Afghanistan to
explicitly guarantee womens rights. Donors must continue to
insist on the acceptance of the rights enshrined in the Afghan
Constitution as a key precondition of talks.
Provide sustained and reliable core funding to womens
organizations, in a coordinated way with other donors.
Afghan womens organizations must be supported to strengthen
existing alliances and develop stronger links between the national
and community level to ensure broad representation of womens
interests and voices in peace processes. After peace agreements
are signed, progress needs to be sustained through further
support. This should include funding for training and capacity
building, to allow women to play an effective role in decisionmaking processes and to foster womens leadership.

The Taliban (and other armed opposition

groups) should:
Support the meaningful inclusion of women at the
negotiating table, in order to increase the possibility of a lasting
peace deal under which Afghanistan can prosper. Since women
constitute over 50 percent of the population, a long-term inclusive
peace can only succeed with the involvement of women, and
consideration of womens issues in discussions.
Make a commitment, in line with UNSCR 1325, paragraph 9,
which calls upon all parties to armed conflict to fully respect
international law applicable to the rights and protection of women
and girls; to respect civilian engagement in peace processes at
all levels, and to respect womens equality as enshrined in the
Afghan Constitution and Afghan law.

25

The United Nations should:

Continue to monitor peace processes and provide increased
technical support to the Afghan government for all
negotiation, reconciliation, and reintegration processes,
particularly those concerning the involvement of, and impact on,
women.
Ensure that all UN-supported reconciliation and reintegration
processes are explicitly linked to the promotion of womens
rights, including by ensuring women are actively involved in the
vetting of ex-combatants for reintegration into society. In
particular, the UN must take steps to improve the links between
civil society and womens local level peace-building efforts and
the Afghanistan Peace and Reintegration Programme.
Reinforce the importance of safeguarding womens
constitutional rights under Afghan Law, particularly within any
discussions and interactions with the Taliban.
Consistently and publicly advocate for womens inclusion in
all peace dialogues and use its presence in Afghanistan to
identify and report on possible threats to womens rights.
Review progress in Afghanistan and include Afghan
womens views in the 2015 high-level review on implementation
of UNSCR 1325 currently being commissioned by the UN
Secretary-General.
The UN Security Council should pass a resolution as soon as
possible committing the international community to support
Afghanistan in creating a sustainable and inclusive peace
process. The UN Security Council must then remain appraised of
the situation in Afghanistan, in order to monitor and respond to
any deterioration of the security situation.

26

ANNEX I: AFGHAN
WOMENS SIX POINT
PETITION
To the front runners of the 2014 Presidential Election, June 2014
Afghanistan is at an important juncture in its history. On 5th April 2014
Afghan women and men reaffirmed their commitment to democracy and
the peaceful transfer of power through their widespread participation in
the presidential election, in the hope of securing a better future for
themselves and their children.
We, the undersigned, congratulate the two main candidates, Dr. Abdullah
Abdullah and Dr. Ashraf Ghani. We commend them for not compromising
the results of the election and for showing their readiness for a second
round of elections in conformity with Afghan law, allowing the women and
men of Afghanistan, God willing, to participate in selecting a government
that best represents them.
We, as equal citizens of this country, recognize the achievements of
more than a decade in our nations struggle with the support of the
Afghan government and international community. The equal rights
enshrined in Afghanistans Constitution (2004) for both women and men,
the high participation of women in leadership and politics through political
quotas (Parliament, Senate, and Provincial Councils) and the affirmative
action engendered by their understanding of historical setbacks and
suffering that women have experienced are some of the important
achievements of our time.
Despite several setbacks and challenges there have been landmark
changes in womens socio-political status when compared to pre-2001,
where oppression against women was institutionalized and women
confined to their homes. The momentum of progress made over the last
decade must be sustained with the change of national leadership set to
take place. Womens health, education and leadership should be a
priority. Womens inclusion should be considered as an integral standard
of good governance, not a superficial commitment to the international
community. Womens voices should be counted, just as their vote counts
and defines the elections.
Endorsement will indicate a commitment to reflect the recommendations
outlined below in your action plans, policies, and commitments for your
five-year term, should you be elected. Commitment should include
concrete steps for advancing implementation of the National Action Plan
for Women of Afghanistan (NAPWA), the Elimination of Violence Against
Women (EVAW) law, and other national and international commitments
that have been adopted over the last decade and reinforced by
commitments made in the Tokyo Mutual Accountability Frame work (July
2012).
27

Education
Continue the implementation and close monitoring of the National
Education Strategic Plan.
Observe the Increasing of Girls Enrolment to Primary and Secondary
Education policy.
Sensitize school curricula to reflect commitment to womens rights and
a violence-free culture that promotes a just and peaceful society.
Allocate a specific budget for womens expanded access to higher
education, nationally and internationally.
Plan and implement long-term strategies for professional capacity
building of female and male schoolteachers and university professors.
Health
Address high mortality rates of mothers and infants.
Maintain basic health centres in remote areas, while improving
hospital standards in cities.
Provide capacity to public health facilities to counter violence against
women by effectively collecting and documenting evidence while also
providing immediate medical and psychological support.
Increase the number of trained gynaecologists and midwifes in the
provinces and capitol by provide scholarships and other incentives.
Political Leadership
Safeguard quotas for womens political participation in parliament,
senate, and provincial councils.
Commit to ensure 25 percent of political posts including cabinet, local
government, ministries, embassies and international missions are
filled by women.
Institute short-term and long-term programmes for the recruitment of
women in key decision-making positions.
Allocate specific funds for the implementation of commitments made
under the Afghanistan National Development Strategy and the
National Action Plan for Women to recruit and promote women to in
all level of civil services, ensuring a minimum of 30 percent are
women.
Justice and Judicial
Affirm a commitment to implement the EVAW law, as per the Tokyo
Mutual Accountability Framework endorsed in July 2012.
Increase the appointment of women to key judicial and legal positions,
ensuring a minimum of 25 percent women in all related institutions.
Appoint a minimum of one female judge to the High Council of the
Supreme Court.
Support womens shelters and legal aid centres addressing the needs
of women affected by gender-based violence.

28

 Sensitize and equip the Afghan National Police Force to address

violence against women, including an explicit focus on building the
capacity and resources of the Family Response Units.
Peace and Security
Cultivate a commitment to developing national security forces that are
inclusive, representative of the Afghan population, and able to
address the security needs of both women and men.
Create an enabling environment for the recruitment, retention and
security of women in the Afghan National Police Force.
Build the capacity of women police to serve in oversight and
leadership roles.
Require instruction on human rights, womens rights, civilian
protection and gender-based violence in the Police and Army Training
Academies.
Involve women at all levels of decision making related to the peace
process, including women in the peace efforts at the community level,
on the High Peace Council, provincial peace councils and in civil
society.
Address the needs of women in the families of fighters who have
chosen to reintegrate.
Ensure the inclusion of women in the vetting of potential reintegrated
combatants, related community recovery and local grievance
resolution.
Finalize and implement the National Action Plan on Women, Peace,
and Security to fulfil Afghanistans obligations under UN Security
Council Resolution 1325.
Economy
Develop and enforce women-friendly labour laws and employment
policies in both government and the private sector.
Support women entrepreneurs as a means of enabling broader
economic development.
Ensure a minimum of 25 percent of businesses in all National
Industrial Parks already in use or soon-to-be established are women
owned.
Recognize womens roles in the agricultural sector and expand their
access to basic inputs, such as seeds and fertilizer, as well as
transportation to and from markets.

29

ANNEX II: TIMELINE OF

PEACE TALKS
2005
From early 2005 onwards: Informal meetings occur between Taliban
representatives and delegates of the Afghan government, including
President Hamid Karzai. In 2005, President Karzai sets up a
reconciliation commission. In May that year, Karzai and the head of the
commission, Sibghatullah Mojaddedi, declared a general amnesty to
Mullah Omar and Hekmatyar. Despite the fact that Karzai retracted these
words after international pressure, he would later again express his
willingness to embrace both these leaders if they would renounce
violence.
Summer 2005: The German foreign intelligence agency coordinates with
the chancellery in Berlin to meet two Taliban representatives in a Zrich
hotel for talks. These talks are said to be coordinated with the US
intelligence agencies, and European countries such as France are in the
know. The German intelligence agencys goal is to know if the Taliban
are prepared to withdraw from al-Qaidas embrace in return for
Germanys involvement in reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan. The
Taliban demand political recognition. The talks are said to fail because
Mullah Omar refuses to distance himself from al-Qaida.
2007
In April 2007, President Karzai reveals that he had been secretly
negotiating with the Taliban. In September that year, the US, UK and the
UN clarify their stance in favour of negotiations with the Taliban, giving
Karzai more room for manoeuvre.
2008
Ahmed Jan, an intermediary for the Taliban and tribal elder from
Helmand province, is sent on behalf of the Taliban to Kabul for talks with
the Afghan government. Jan is arrested by US officials and detained at
Bagram when they discover the talks are to take place.
September: Preliminary peace talks are held between Afghan officials
and Taliban proxies in Saudi Arabia.
October: Abdul Qayyum Karzai, Hamid Karzais older brother and US
citizen, describes the potential Saudi reconciliation process to the US
ambassador in Kabul. The ambassador is told about a recent Afghan
delegation of 17, including former Taliban officials, who went to Saudi
Arabia for a meeting with the King. Qayyum assures the ambassador the
US would be consulted at every step and requests that the US urge the
Saudis to remain engaged. Prince Maqrin, head of Saudi intelligence,
says Saudi Arabia does not want to be alone in this, highlighting the
importance of keeping the US and the UK informed.
30

2009
February: Secret negotiations seem to be under way to bring troops
fighting alongside the Taliban into Afghanistan's political process,
according to reports by Al Jazeera. Talks between Taliban-linked
mediators, Western officials and the Afghan government are said to be
underway. The talks apparently involve a proposal for the return to
Afghanistan of Gulbuddin Hekmatyar. It is not clear whether the secret
negotiations are aimed at separating Hekmatyars faction from the group
or encouraging some elements of the Taliban to join the political process.
Spring: Exploratory meetings take place between representatives of the
Afghan government and the Taliban in the United Arab Emirate (UAE).
September: German officials at the request of the Taliban, hold their first
meeting in Dubai.
2010
January: Informal talks between Afghan MPs and some representatives
of the Taliban take place in the Maldives, attended as well by members
of Hizb-e-Islami, apparently as observers. The talks, denied to have
taken place by both the Afghan government and the Taliban, come as
several Taliban fighters were taken off the UN black list. No Afghan
women were present.
January: Regional commanders on the Taliban's leadership council, the
Quetta Shura, seek a meeting with the UN special representative in
Afghanistan, Kai Eide. The meeting takes place in Dubai on 8 January.
The Taliban denies the meeting took place and vow to persist in its war
against the invaders.
May: Seven Taliban leaders and 14 members of the Afghan government
reportedly attend talks in Maldives. President Karzais spokesman denies
the government has sent representatives. It is speculated the meeting
involves the leadership of Hizb-i-Islami. The Taliban deny taking part in
the talks. One female Afghan MP is said to be present.
Spring: Bernd Mtzelburg, Germany's special envoy to Afghanistan,
meets Tayyab Agha who is said to represent Mullah Omar.
September: Karzai announces he has set up the High Peace Council to
pursue talks with the Taliban.
September: A spokesman for President Karzai confirms there have been
contacts with the Taliban at every level. He says: There have been
different levels of contact sometimes direct and sometimes indirect, but
cautions the contacts could not be characterized as even the beginning
of formal negotiations.
6 October: Although unconfirmed, several Pakistani and Afghan sources
insist that CIA officials have held clandestine meetings with top Taliban
leaders. At least two rounds of meetings were reportedly held in
Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan.

31

7 October: Secret high-level negotiations between the Afghan

government and the Taliban leadership are believed to have taken place
in Dubai. The Dubai discussions are said to have centred on the
conditions under which the Taliban would agree to call a ceasefire. They
are insisting on an agreed timetable for the exit of NATO troops.
Early October: The US based East-West Institute organizes a round of
meetings in Kabul, funded by the emirate of Abu Dhabi. No serving
Taliban take part in these meetings, but some reconciled ones,
including Mullah Abdul Salam Zaeef and former foreign minister Wakil
Ahmed Mutawakil. These meetings can be considered as exploratory
attempts, not as formal negotiations.
Mid-October: It is reported that Taliban commanders from the highest
levels of the groups leadership, are secretly leaving their sanctuaries in
Pakistan for talks with President Karzais inner circle. NATO
governments are helping to facilitate the discussions by providing air
transport and securing roadways for leaders coming from Pakistan. It is
reported that in at least one case, Taliban leaders crossed the border
and boarded a NATO aircraft bound for Kabul. Taliban commanders
reportedly include Maulvi Abdul Kabir, former governor of Nangarhar
province and deputy prime minister during the Taliban rule, Mullah Sadre
Azam and Anwar-ul-Haq Mujahed. The men were brought by helicopter
from Peshawar.
November: NATO supported talks with the Afghan government come to
an end when it is revealed the man posing as the Taliban representative,
Mullah Akhtar Muhammad Mansour, one of the most senior commanders
in the Taliban movement, is an imposter.
November: It is reported that representatives of various Afghan factions
have recently met in Maldives.
November: In a secret meeting arranged by Germanys foreign ministry
and intelligence agency, US delegates meet with members of the Taliban
for the first time near Munich.
2011
February: US and Taliban officials meet in Doha for a second round of
talks.
April: At a press conference in Kabul, Mohammad Massoom Stanekzai,
secretary of the HPC and an adviser to President Karzai, says
reconciliation talks have been underway with insurgents for some time.
The US is supporting the effort, Mr. Stanekzai said. The American
ambassador, Karl W. Eikenberry, also present, concurs.
May: US and Taliban representatives come face to face for a third round
of meetings near Munich. The meetings last two days.
June: President Karzai says publicly for the first time that the US and the
NATO-led coalition have been actively negotiating with the Taliban.

32

September: A Taliban suicide bomber assassinates Burhanuddin

Rabbani, head of the High Peace Council.
December: By the end of 2011, US and Taliban representatives have
reportedly met more than seven times.
November - December: Foundation for Strategic Research, a think tank
funded by the French government hosts the first of a series of talks to
promote intra-Afghan dialogue.
2012
January: Taliban establish an office in Qatar. Marc Grossman, the
Obama administrations special representative for Afghanistan and
Pakistan, has a number of meetings related to Afghanistan when he
visited Qatar the week before.
March: Talks between the US and Taliban break down.
June: Former Taliban, Hizb-e-Islami and Afghan government officials,
including High Peace Council members, attend meetings in Chantilly.
These meetings are followed by another round of meetings at an
academic conference in Kyotos Doshisha University.
December: Taliban representatives travel to Paris on official Afghan
passports to take part in a conference organized in Chantilly by a French
think-tank, Foundation for Strategic Study. This is later claimed by an
Afghan government spokesperson, Aimal Faizi.
2013
June: Talks between the US and Taliban officials are scheduled to take
place in Qatar. The talks are stalled immediately because of a diplomatic
row following the opening of the Talibans office.
July: President Karzais spokesman says: In a special meeting chaired
by President Hamid Karzai, the president has decided to suspend talks
about a security pact with the U.S. because of their inconsistent
statements and actions in regard to the peace process.
November: Taliban are said to initiate contact with President Karzai.
2014
January/February: The High Peace Council says it has held talks with
Taliban leaders in the UAE. The Taliban deny reports of the talks. Afghan
officials have also reportedly met with influential Taliban leaders in Saudi
Arabia.
April: The High Peace Council talks of a renewed effort at peace
negotiations with the Taliban.

33

September: Newly elected President Ashraf Ghani uses his inaugural

speech to call for the Taliban to join peace talks after 13 years of war.
November: In meetings between Oxfam and various representatives of
the Afghan government, it is confirmed that informal contacts and
exploratory meetings continue to take place at different levels. However,
the start of the next formal peace process still has to be announced.

34

NOTES
1

The Telegraph (2012) Hamid Karzai under fire on Afghan women's rights, 8 March,
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/afghanistan/9130508/Hamid-Karzai-under-fire-on-Afghanwomens-rights.html

The authors acknowledge that behind the term Taliban there is a wide variety of different groups and interests.

S. March (2014) Afghanistans new president Ashraf Ghani calls on Taliban to join peace talks, says country tired
of war, ABC News, 30 September, http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-09-29/afghanistan-new-president-ashrafghani-sworn-in/5776962

L. Stone (2014) Can women make the world more peaceful? The Guardian, 11 August,
http://www.theguardian.com/global-development-professionals-network/2014/aug/11/women-conflict-peacesociety?CMP=twt_gu%20

Cordaid (2014) Talk to me, not about me, 3 September, https://www.cordaid.org/en/news/talk-me-not-about-me/

See for example: BBC (2014) Afghan womens Talk to me Nato Cardiff summit demo, 5 September,
http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-29080411

T. Majidi (2014) New USAID Womens Empowerment Program Starts in Afghanistan, 8 November,
http://www.tolonews.com/en/afghanistan/17049-new-usaid-womens-empowerment-program-starts-inafghanistan

Inter-Parliamentary Union (2014) Women in National Parliaments: World Classification, last updated September
2014, http://www.ipu.org/wmn-e/classif.htm

H. Malikyar (2014) Afghan women: No turning back, Al Jazeera, 25 February,

http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2014/02/afghan-women-no-turning-back-201422545149900493.html

10

UNAMA (2014) UN report urges Afghanistan to recruit female teachers locally to boost girls education, UNAMA,
http://unama.unmissions.org/Default.aspx?ctl=Details&tabid=12254&mid=15756&ItemID=37660

11

Oxfam, Afghanistan country profile, http://www.oxfam.org/en/countries/afghanistan; World Bank, Life

expectancy at birth (female, Afghanistan), from 2001-2012,
http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.DYN.LE00.FE.IN/countries

12

This relates to the proportion of deaths among women of reproductive age that are due to maternal causes. See
World Health Organization (2014) Maternal Mortality in 1990 2013, Afghanistan,
http://www.who.int/gho/maternal_health/countries/afg.pdf?ua=1

13

L. Hancock and O. Nemat (2011) A Place at the Table: Safeguarding womens rights in Afghanistan, Oxfam,
http://oxf.am/anZ

14

K. Shawe (2013) Afghanistan in 2013: A Survey of the Afghan People, The Asia Foundation,
http://asiafoundation.org/resources/pdfs/2013AfghanSurvey.pdf

15

C. Roehrs (2013) Damage avoided, for Now? The very short debate about the EVAW law, Afghanistan Analysts
Network, https://www.afghanistan-analysts.org/damage-avoided-for-now-the-very-short-debate-about-theevaw-law/

16

L. Hancock (2013) Women and the Afghan Police: Why a law enforcement agency that respects and protects
females is crucial for progress, Oxfam, http://www.oxfam.org/en/research/women-and-afghan-police

17

The Telegraph (2012) op. cit.

18

A.K. Sen (2012) Taliban talks terrify Afghan women, The Washington Times, 17 April,
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/apr/17/taliban-talks-terrify-women/?page=all

19

Via email from Elizabeth Cameron, September 2014.

20

National Democratic Institute for Democratic Affairs (2014) Preliminary Statement of the National Democratic
Institutes Election Mission for Afghanistans 2014 Presidential and Provincial Council Elections,
https://www.ndi.org/files/NDI-Afghanistan-2014-Election-Mission-Preliminary-Statement-4.7.2014.pdf

21

Via email from Elizabeth Cameron, September 2014.

22

L. Ford (2014) Afghanistan elections unlikely to prove a boon for women, warns activist, The Guardian, 2 April,
http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2014/apr/02/afghanistan-elections-womens-rights-genderequality

23

BBC (2012) Female Afghan politician Hanifa Safi killed, 13 July, http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-18832391

24

BBC (2012) Afghanistan killings: Najia Sidiqi and Mohammad Musa Rasuli killed, 10 December,
http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-20662105

25

E. Graham-Harrison (2013) Top Afghan policewoman killed months after predecessor's assassination, The
Guardian, 16 September, http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/sep/16/afghanistan-policewoman-nigaraassassinated-taliban

26

J. Kelly (2013) Taliban step up their intimidation of female police on eve of election, The Times, 5 April,
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/news/world/asia/afghanistan/article4054966.ece

27

PTRO (2012) Unheard Voices: Afghan views on the Challenges of the Peace Process,
http://www.ptro.org.af/site_files/13979724091.pdf

28

UNAMA (2010) Harmful Traditional Practices and Implementation of the Law on Elimination of Violence against
Women in Afghanistan, 9 December,

35

http://unama.unmissions.org/Portals/UNAMA/Publication/HTP%20REPORT_ENG.pdf
29

Cordaid, AWN and APPRO (May 2014) Afghanistan: Monitoring Womens Security in Transition, Cycle 3.
https://www.cordaid.org/media/medialibrary/2014/09/Transition_Monitor_cycle_3_report_final.pdf

30

Speech by William Hague at No Women No Peace campaign event (11 October 2010),
https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/no-society-can-address-its-problems-by-drawing-only-on-thetalents-of-one-of-the-sexes

31

J. Gerstenzang and L. Getter (2001) Laura Bush addresses state of Afghan women, Los Angeles Times, 18
November, http://articles.latimes.com/2001/nov/18/news/mn-5602

32

Los Angeles Times (2001) Afghan womens rights are a must, Powell Says, 29 November,
http://articles.latimes.com/2001/nov/20/news/mn-6302

33

K. Annan (2001) True Afghan peace not possible without restoration of womens rights says secretary-general in
message to Brussels summit United Nations Press Release, 4 December,
http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2001/sgsm8066.doc.htm

34

Associated Press (2010) Clinton: We wont abandon Afghan women, The Washington Times, 13 May,
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/may/13/karzai-visits-graves-us-fallen-afghan-war/?page=all

35

Prime Minister Toby Abbott (2012) Statement to the Australian parliament, 31 October,
http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p;query=Id%3A%22chamber%2Fhansardr%2F466
695ee-0c7f-4e03-8a6d-246f5f265306%2F0007%22

36

M. Grant (2013) Statement to the Security Council Open Debate on the situation in Afghanistan,
http://www.canadainternational.gc.ca/prmny-mponu/canada_un-canada_onu/statementsdeclarations/security_council-conseil_securite/2014_03_17-situa_Afghan_Grant.aspx

37

Statement from the British Acting Ambassador to mark International Women's Day 2013 (2013),
https://www.facebook.com/ukinafghanistan/posts/10151525367980631

38

International Crisis Group (2013) Women and conflict in Afghanistan, Asia Report 252,
http://www.crisisgroup.org/~/media/Files/asia/south-asia/afghanistan/252-women-and-conflict-inafghanistan.pdf

39

Z. Moosa (2011) After the Bonn conference, what next for Afghanistans women? The Guardian, 6 December,
http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/poverty-matters/2011/dec/06/bonn-what-next-afghan-women

40

The International Afghanistan Conference in Bonn (2011) Conference Conclusions, Paragraph 7, Page 2,
http://mfa.gov.af/Content/files/Second%20Bonn%20Conference%202011%20Communique.pdf

41

Ibid, Paragraph 18(b), Page 4

42

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan (2012) Tokyo Conference on Afghanistan, The Tokyo Declaration,
Partnership for Self-Reliance in Afghanistan, From Transition to Transformation,
http://www.mofa.go.jp/region/middle_e/afghanistan/tokyo_conference_2012/tokyo_declaration_en1.html

43

E. MacAskill (2013) Obama hints at accelerated pullout after talks with Karzai on Afghan future, The Guardian,
11 January, http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jan/11/obama-karzai-close-agreement-us-afghanistan

44

Speech by Foreign Secretary William Hague at the Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict (2014)
https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/foreign-secretary-closes-global-summit-to-end-sexual-violence-inconflict

45

One World Research (OWR) interview with Farkhunda Zahra Naderi, Kabul, June 2014

46

OWR interview with Selay Ghaffar, Kabul, June 2014

47

L. Hancock and O. Nemat (2011) op. cit.

48

Action Aid (2011) Bonn and Beyond: Negotiating the future of womens rights in Afghanistan,
http://www.actionaid.org.uk/sites/default/files/doc_lib/bonn_and_beyond.pdf

49

Written answers to questions raised in the UK Parliament by Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead (5 November 2014)

50

T. Wheeler (2012) Afghan womens exclusion from the Chicago NATO Summit: a troubling sign, The Institute
for Inclusive Security, http://www.inclusivesecurity.org/afghan-womens-exclusion-from-the-chicago-natosummit-a-troubling-sign/

51

A. Kwatra (2014) Women sidelined in talks on Afghanistan at the NATO summit, Action Aid, 4 September,
http://www.actionaid.org.uk/news-and-views/news-blog/2014/09/04/women-sidelined-in-talks-on-afghanistanat-the-nato-summit

52

Ibid. Also, K. Hughes (2014) Talk to me, not about me: Afghan women left out in the cold by NATO, Amnesty
International, http://www.amnesty.org.uk/blogs/campaigns/talk-me-not-about-me-afghan-women-left-out-coldnato

53

S. Armstrong (2014) The Interview: Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai on Afghanistan, McLeans, 5 March,
http://www.macleans.ca/politics/worldpolitics/the-interview-ashraf-ghani-ahmadzai-on-afghanistan/

54

Amnesty International UK (2012) 'Afghanistan & Women's Rights', 28 November,

http://www.amnesty.org.uk/groups/mayfair-and-soho/afghanistan-women%E2%80%99s-rights

55

Tolonews (2014) 'New USAID Women's Empowerment Program Starts in Afghanistan, 8 November,
http://www.tolonews.com/en/afghanistan/17049-new-usaid-womens-empowerment-program-starts-inafghanistan

56

Tokyo Conference on Afghanistan (2012) The Tokyo Declaration, Partnership for Self-Reliance in Afghanistan,
From Transition to Transformation, http://president.gov.af/Content/files/Tokyo%20Declaration%20%20Final%20English.pdf

36

57

UPR Info (2014) 2PR: Responses to Recommendations & Voluntary Pledges: Afghanistan, Second Review
Session 18, http://www.upr-info.org/sites/default/files/document/afghanistan/session_18__january_2014/recommendations_and_pledges_afghanistan_2014.pdf

58

1TV (2014) Karzai calls on Taliban to respect at least womens overwhelming quest for peace, 5 March,
http://www.1tvnews.af/en/news/afghanistan/6465-karzai-calls-on-taliban-to-respect-at-leastwomen%E2%80%99s-overwhelming-quest-for-peace

59

Cordaid (2014) Next President Afghanistan Signs Petition for Womens Rights,
https://www.cordaid.org/en/news/next-president-afghanistan-signs-petition-women-rights-and-empowerment/

60

OWR interview with Matt Waldman, 21 May 2014

61

BBC (2013) Zinat Karzai, Afghanistans invisible first lady, http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-21699353

62

OWR interview with Lida Nadery, Kabul, June 2014.

63

C. Reuter, G. Peter Schmitz and H. Stark (2012) Talking to the Enemy: How German Diplomats Opened Chanel
to Taliban, Spiegel Online International, 10 January, http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/talking-to-theenemy-how-german-diplomats-opened-channel-to-taliban-a-808068-2.html

64

A. Entous (2014) Taliban Held Fast to Their Demands in Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl Swap Talks, The Wall Street
Journal, 5 June, http://online.wsj.com/articles/taliban-held-fast-to-their-demands-in-sgt-bowe-bergdahl-swaptalks-1402014395

65

A. Rashid (2012) The truth behind Americas Taliban talks, Financial Times, 29 June, http://blogs.ft.com/the-alist/2011/06/29/the-truth-behind-americas-taliban-talks/

66

AFP (2012) Top US envoy met Taliban in Qatar: Afghan official, The Express Tribune, 8 February,
http://tribune.com.pk/story/333484/top-us-envoy-met-taliban-in-qatar-afghan-official/; A.J. Rubin (2012)
Former Taliban Officials Say U.S Talks Started, The New York Times, 28 January,
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/29/world/asia/taliban-have-begun-talks-with-us-former-taliban-aides-say.html

67

Ibid.

68

M. Rosenberg (2012) Taliban Opening Qatar Office, and Maybe Door to Talks, The New York Times, 3 January,
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/04/world/asia/taliban-to-open-qatar-office-in-step-toward-peacetalks.html?pagewanted=all

69

J. Borger (2012) US-Taliban talks collapsed over Guantnamo deal, says official, The Guardian, 8 October,
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/oct/08/us-taliban-talks-guantanamo

70

BBC (2013) US and Taliban to open direct peace talks in Qatar, 18 June, http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/world-uscanada-22957819

71

R. Nordland and A.J. Rubin (2013) Taliban Flag is Gone in Qatar, but Talks Remain in Doubt, The New York
Times, 23 June, http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/24/world/middleeast/taliban-flag-is-gone-in-qatar-but-talksremain-in-doubt.html?_r=0

72

N. Wrmer (2012) Exploratory Talks and Peace Initiatives in Afghanistan, German Institute for International and
Security affairs, http://www.swp-berlin.org/fileadmin/contents/products/comments/2012C44_wmr.pdf

73

W. Samad (2011) Women and peacemaking in Afghanistan: Room or Optimism?, 12 January, Centre for
Humanitarian Dialogue,
http://www.hdcentre.org/fileadmin/user_upload/Our_work/Mediation_support/Current%20activities/1%20Gend
er%20and%20Mediation/Gender%20main%20page/2%20Sous%20page%20Women%20at%20the%20Peace
%20Table%20Asia%20Pacific/Supporting%20documents/Women%20and%20peacemaking%20in%20Afghani
stan%20-%2012%20January%202011.pdf

74

BBC (2010) Afghan peace talks in a holidaymakers paradise, 23 November, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/worldsouth-asia-11811285

75

OWR interview with Farkhunda Zahra Naderi, June 2014

76

OWR interview with Afghan delegate, June 2014

77

BBC (2010) Afghan peace jirga backs Karzai Taliban talks proposal, 4 June,
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10234823; UN News Centre (2010) Top UN envoy calls for sustaining momentum
of recent Afghan peace forum, 12 June,
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=35008#.VCR17_ldWSo

78

BBC (2010) Karzai sets up council for peace talks with Taliban, 4 September, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/worldsouth-asia-11188294

79

M. Arghandiwal (2012) Women on Afghan peace council say they are sidelined, Reuters, 22 March,
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/03/22/us-afghanistan-women-idUSBRE82L0FP20120322

80

OWR interview with Selay Ghaffar, Kabul, June, 2014

81

A. Ferris-Rotman (2011) How will Afghan women fare in Taliban reconciliation?

http://amieferrisrotman.com/how-will-afghan-women-fare-in-taliban-reconciliation.html

82

OWR interview with Afghan expert, Kabul, June 2014. See also: M. Gebauer (2012) Negotiations in Afghanistan:
Karzai Asks Berlin for Help with Taliban Talks, Spiegel Online International,
http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/afghan-president-karzai-asks-for-german-help-with-taliban-talks-a845893.html

83

R. Sanchez (2014) America's only prisoner of war released in exchange for Taliban detainees from
Guantnamo, The Telegraph, 31 May,
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/10867353/Americas-only-prisoner-of-warreleased-in-exchange-for-Taliban-detainees-from-Guantanamo.html

37

84

Foreign and Commonwealth Office (2011) UK SRAP visits Afghanistan to reiterate UK support for the Afghan
peace process, https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-srap-visits-afghanistan-to-reiterate-uk-support-forthe-afghan-peace-process

85

OWR interview with Nader Nadery, Kabul, June 2014

86

OWR interview with State Department official, US, May 2014

87

A. Daiyar (2012) Chantilly Process and Taliban, Daily Outlook Afghanistan, 24 December,
http://outlookafghanistan.net/topics.php?post_id=6213

88

OWR interview with Nader Nadery, Kabul, June 2014

89

OWR interview with Afghan participant at Chantilly talks, Kabul, June 2014

90

A. Daiyar (2012) op. cit.

91

A.F. Hakim (2014) Peace Talks with the Taliban lack red lines, clear policy, and transparency, Huffington Post,
25 April, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/unveiling-afghanistan/ahmad-fahim-hakim-peace-t_b_5212583.html

92

J. Crawford (2011) Clinton: U.S. would negotiate with Taliban leader, CNN, 27 October,
http://edition.cnn.com/2011/10/27/world/asia/us-afghanistan-pakistan/

93

Oxfam interview with US embassy official, Kabul, 2011

94

OWR interview with Farid Hamidi, Kabul, June 2014

95

A.Q. Siddiqui (2012) Peace council receive 2.5m Dutch assistance, Cimicweb, 7 February

96

UNDP (2013) Afghanistan Peace and Reintegration Program: Annual Project Progress Report,
http://www.af.undp.org/content/dam/afghanistan/docs/crisisprev/APRP/APRP-APR-2013.pdf

97

PTRO (March 2014) The Home Front: The Role of Women in Afghanistans Peace and Reintegration
Programme, http://www.ptro.org.af/site_files/13990989651.pdf

98

National Democratic Institute (2010) Statement from the Participants of the Post-Peace Jirga Symposium of
Afghan Women, https://www.ndi.org/files/Afghan_women_post_jirga_statement.pdf

99

UN Economic and Social Council Resolution 1990/15 of May 24, 1990 recommended specific targets for
increasing the percentage of women in leadership positions to 30 percent by 1995 and 50 percent by 2000.

38

 Oxfam International November 2014

The research for this paper was conducted by One World Research. The paper was
written by Elizabeth Cameron and Dr Jorrit Kamminga. Oxfam acknowledges the
assistance of Steph Cousins, Roslyn Boatman, Akram Zaki, Freshta Ghani, Floortje
Klijn, Shannon Scribner, Shaheen Chughtai and Caroline Green in its production.
Oxfam also acknowledges the significant inputs from partner organizations including
the Research Institute for Women Peace and Security (RIWPS), the Peace Training
Research Organization (PTRO), the Afghan Womens Network (AWN), the Afghan
Womens Educational Centre (AWEC), as well as all individuals interviewed for the
research and those who provided valuable feedback on the draft.
This report is part of a series of papers written to inform public debate on
development and humanitarian policy issues. For further information on the issues
raised in this paper please e-mail: [email protected]
This publication is copyright but the text may be used free of charge for the purposes
of advocacy, campaigning, education, and research, provided that the source is
acknowledged in full. The copyright holder requests that all such use be registered
with them for impact assessment purposes. For copying in any other circumstances,
or for re-use in other publications, or for translation or adaptation, permission must
be secured and a fee may be charged. E-mail [email protected]
The information in this publication is correct at the time of going to press.
Published by Oxfam GB for Oxfam International under ISBN 978-1-78077-755-9 in
November 2014. Oxfam GB, Oxfam House, John Smith Drive, Cowley, Oxford, OX4
2JY, UK

OXFAM
Oxfam is an international confederation of 17 organizations networked together in
more than 90 countries, as part of a global movement for change, to build a future
free from the injustice of poverty:
Oxfam America (www.oxfamamerica.org)
Oxfam Australia (www.oxfam.org.au)
Oxfam-in-Belgium (www.oxfamsol.be)
Oxfam Canada (www.oxfam.ca)
Oxfam France (www.oxfamfrance.org)
Oxfam Germany (www.oxfam.de)
Oxfam GB (www.oxfam.org.uk)
Oxfam Hong Kong (www.oxfam.org.hk)
Oxfam India (www.oxfamindia.org)
Oxfam Intermn (Spain) (www.oxfamintermon.org)
Oxfam Ireland (www.oxfamireland.org)
Oxfam Italy (www.oxfamitalia.org)
Oxfam Japan (www.oxfam.jp)
Oxfam Mexico (www.oxfammexico.org)
Oxfam New Zealand (www.oxfam.org.nz)
Oxfam Novib (Netherlands) (www.oxfamnovib.nl)
Oxfam Qubec (www.oxfam.qc.ca)
Please write to any of the agencies for further information, or visit www.oxfam.org

www.oxfam.org