Between 30 June and 2 July, 2024, the UN held the third round of Doha meetings on Afghanistan. Representatives from over 25 countries and the Taliban were present. However, at the Taliban’s request, Afghan women and civil society were excluded from official meetings.
This exclusion is shocking - it legitimizes the Taliban's outrageous demand, and seems to underscore an impression that the rights of women, which have been systematically eroded under Taliban rule, are to be sacrificed in the interest of building connections with the Taliban. Such compliance only sustains gender apartheid rather than countering it.
Since the Taliban seized power in 2021, there has been a significant rollback in women's rights. Of the 80 edicts issued by the Taliban by January 2023, 54 specifically target women.
Women and girls have been banished from nearly all areas of public life, barred from attending school beyond the sixth grade, and prohibited from working in local jobs and non-governmental organizations. The Taliban have ordered the closure of gyms and parks to women, the closure of women’s businesses such as beauty salons, and prohibited women from going out without a male guardian. The country is grappling with a crippled economy, a humanitarian emergency, restricted education, and significant human rights concerns.
The blatant exclusion of Afghan women is not only contrary to the explicit demands of Afghan women and civil society, who have called for a boycott of any engagement with the Taliban until women's rights are restored, but also an affront to international human rights principles. The exclusion is inconsistent with the UN Charter, UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on women, peace, and security, and related resolutions and conventions, including the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). Furthermore, it contradicts the international community’s stance on Afghan women’s rights.
The Doha meetings were shrouded in secrecy, with little to no information about its purpose, the agenda, content of discussions and any agreements. In addition to exclusion from the formal meetings, women and civil society were also inadequately consulted in the meeting planning. Civil society only participated in side-events associated with the meeting which were poorly attended by state representatives. The lack of transparency and the abandonment of principles of inclusion are reasons for alarm, not just for the fate of efforts to defend Afghan women’s rights, but for the principles of justice and equality for which the United Nations stands.
We, the undersigned, call on the international community to:
- Ensure that any engagement with the Taliban is principled and conditional on women’s meaningful participation.
- Prioritize the full spectrum of women’s human rights without exception, in accordance with Afghanistan’s international obligations. This includes lifting all restrictions on women imposed by the Taliban.
- Urge the Taliban to ensure women’s full, equal, meaningful, and safe participation in all aspects of public life and decision-making.
- Provide safe, gender-responsive, principled, and non-discriminatory humanitarian aid to all Afghans in need.
- Call on the Taliban to lift the ban on Afghan women working for the UN and local and international NGOs.
- Refrain from granting the Taliban a seat at the UN (which would imply they are legitimate representatives of the country) or inviting them to UN-convened meetings.
- Refrain from reopening diplomatic missions, or lifting sanctions until there is demonstrated, measurable progress on all human rights, especially women’s rights.
- Ensure that future engagement strategies, such as upcoming Doha meetings on Afghanistan, include diverse women and civil society participants.
- Appoint a principled UN Special Envoy for Afghanistan with a strong track record on human rights and women’s rights, and ensure they engage meaningfully with diverse Afghan women's civil society and human rights defenders to inform all aspects of their work.
- Ensure that United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) meaningfully engages with Afghan women civil society and human rights defenders through regular consultations and meaningful collaboration to inform UNAMA’s work.
- Maintain transparency with civil society throughout the entire engagement process, including sharing meeting agendas beforehand, discussing content, and allowing commentary on and input to any agreements. This also includes providing information on next steps, outcomes, and the overall strategic plan.
Afghan women, embodying resilience and hope are demanding our attention and action. They deserve dignity, aspirations, and the right to an equal life. It is the international community's responsibility to recognize this and act accordingly.
Signed by:
Nobel Women's Initiative
Jody Williams, Nobel Peace Prize laureate (USA, 1997)
Shirin Ebadi, Nobel Peace Prize laureate (Iran, 2003)
Leymah Gbowee, Nobel Peace Prize laureate (Liberia, 2011)
Tawakkol Karman (Yemen, 2011)
Maria Ressa (Philippines, 2021)
The Image used in this statement was taken by Amber Clay from Pixabay.