Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan has been engulfed in violent armed conflict since the fall of the Taliban regime in 2001, and efforts to build sustainable peace while preventing the re-establishment of extremist rule depend on the inclusion of women.
Living in the most dangerous place in the world to be a woman, as the Thomas Reuters Foundation revealed in 2011, Afghani women have emerged as leaders in the peace process— advocating constantly for more inclusive government, and inspiring marginalized groups nationwide to demand a place in the political system. Despite the important role that Afghani women play in bringing about social change in Afghanistan, many barriers to their involvement still exist.
Based on the work of NGOWG members and their partners, the NGOWG advocates for eliminating these barriers by encouraging UNAMA to support the Afghan government in fully implementing the National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security (NAP), and ensuring women’s full and equal participation in regularly held elections.
Current and Past Recommendations to the UN Security Council (Monthly Action Points)
Afghanistan (December 2011)
The situation in Afghanistan remains a dangerous one, particularly for women. In discussing reports from the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan (ISAF), the Security Council should reinforce that Afghan women must play an active role in all efforts to negotiate a peaceful future for the country, including by inquiring into efforts to support women’s participation in reconciliation talks. The Council should support additional UN capacity to address humanitarian needs, including an increase in UNHCR and OCHA protection and humanitarian affairs officers in regional offices. The Council should ensure political agreements between the Afghan government and insurgent groups include verifiable benchmarks to evaluate the parties’ conformity with human rights obligations.
Relevant Resources
