(MENAFN- Daily Outlook Afghanistan) KABUL - Afghan women'sand civil society organisations have long been advocating for their inclusionin the peace negotiations between the United States and the Taliban, says SimaSamar, State Minister on Human Rights and coordinator of Peace Women Across theGlobe in Afghanistan on Wednesday.
Women in particular havemuch to lose if the peace fails. Without their meaningful participation peacewill not last, Samar told an international media outlet on sidelines of Women,Peace and Security conference in Bern.
In the past 18 years,Afghan women and girls have regained freedoms stolen during the reign of theTaliban. In education, the economy, health care and in politics, their gainshave been significant – but these are fragile.
At the start of thenegotiations, no women sat at the table. Women's groups, civil societyorganisations (CSOs) and human rights and peace activists like Sima Samar havepushed for the inclusion of women, victims of human rights violations and CSOs.Thanks to their persistent advocacy, a few women and CSOs joined the recentlystalled peace talks. Questions remained, how meaningful their inclusion trulywas.
'In my personal view, itis not enough, says Sima Samar, Special Envoy for Human Rights and StateMinister on Human Rights and International Affairs in the Afghan government.Women are worried, particularly those who know their rights and lived throughthe Taliban regime. She argues that women who experienced the Taliban regimefirst-hand should be part of the negotiations rather than women who spent theirlives abroad and don't know the reality of rural Afghan women.
Women building alliances
Rights and freedoms applyto everyone, men and women, rural and urban, she says. She criticises thearguments put forward by some men that first the blood shed must stop, women'srights can be dealt with later. Or that the rights of some women are moreimportant than those of others. 'That attitude is wrong, she says. 'If womenare not free, then society is not free. That is not peace.
In order to advocate forwomen's inclusion in the peace negotiations, women have been building allianceswith men who themselves are advocates for human rights and who believe indemocracy and gender equality, she explains.
After a year and ninerounds of negotiations, a peace agreement was apparently within reach. Nowpeace is teetering on the edge of failure. The attacks in Afghanistan in recentmonths and the announcement by President Trump on 9 September that the US ispulling out of the negotiations have cast even more doubts that peace will cometo Afghanistan any time soon.'The bad deal is postponed
But most Afghans wereunaware of the contents of the US-Taliban negotiations or the four aims thatthe United States pursued, including the intra-Afghan dialogue that was tofollow the negotiations. Sima Samar says that the majority of Afghans weresuspicious of the process, partly because of the lack of transparency andlargely because too many failed political deals have eroded the Afghans' trustin the negotiations.
The Afghan government wasnot represented in the negotiations. President Ashraf Ghani announced 12 namesof the government representatives last November. But the list was 'not receivedwell by the people – it was not inclusive, Sima Samar says. Now Afghans 'arehappy that the bad deal is at least postponed for now, she says. 'We hope thatthe intra-Afghan dialogues will start and that they include the meaningfulparticipation of women, civil society and victims. She also hopes for a strongpolitical will 'on both sides.
'We need to learn fromour past experience and mistakes and not repeat them. Without women'smeaningful participation in the process, 'it will not be complete and anincomplete process will not be sustainable or successful, she says. 'Womenshould be part of planning for peace. They should be at the negotiation table.And they should be part of the implementation of the peace agreement.
Women's Peace Tables'builds confidence
At the Women's PeaceTable in Kabul, held on 15 January 2019, Afghan women were provided theopportunity to share and discuss their views about peace in their country. AsPWAG's Coordinator in Afghanistan, Sima Samar was instrumental in organisingthis Women's Peace Table, a concept launched by PeaceWomen Across the Globe andused around the world to provide safe spaces for women peace activists.Political and religious leaders, women's rights activists, the media,international organisations, youth and civil society activists joined in thediscussions in Kabul.
Women's Peace Tablesraise women's awareness of their rights and prepare them to demand their rightsby building their self-confidence, says Sima Samar. The current situation inAfghanistan requires more of these kinds of activities, she says, providingsafe spaces for women and for youth of both sexes 'to stand united for humanrights and equality for a better future for Afghanistan. (Pajhwok)
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