Hakim Bigzaad
With the Doha Conference on Afghanistan coming up on February 18th and 19th, some women’s rights advocates are urging the United Nations to ensure that Afghan women have a significant role in this event.
Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for Antonio Guterres, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, has stated that the two-day conference on Afghanistan, scheduled for February 18th and 19th, will have women and the civil society of Afghanistan represented alongside the country’s representatives.
The key agenda for this conference includes proposals put forth by Feridun Sinirlioglu, a former Turkish diplomat. Additionally, discussions during this conference are expected to revolve around the appointment of a new United Nations envoy for Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, some women’s rights advocates have expressed that the presence of Afghan women at the Doha conference is essential, and they should be able to represent Afghan women effectively.
Mina Rafiq, a women’s rights activist, asserts that women should have a meaningful presence in such conferences to have a say in their own destinies. She further adds, “In previous conferences, true representatives of women were absent, rendering them ineffective. In the Doha conference, women who actively protest and fight against Taliban policies should be invited.”
Heather Barr, Deputy Director of the Women’s Rights Division at Human Rights Watch, emphasizes that if the United Nations appoints a special envoy for Afghanistan affairs, it must ensure that this representative has a comprehensive understanding of the human rights situation of women in Afghanistan and engages in ongoing consultations with the women.
Similarly, Tahera Nasery, a women’s rights advocate and founder of the “Women for Freedom” movement, tells Khaama Press that those who can represent Afghanistan women are those who have been affected by the restrictive policies of the Taliban but have still fought for their rights.
According to Ms. Nasery, the demands of Afghanistan women should be raised by Afghan women themselves, not by individuals selected as “representatives” by the United Nations. It is worth noting that representatives from the Taliban have also been invited to the Doha conference.
Approximately eight months ago, the first Doha conference was held, with Afghan women’s representatives notably absent.
Shafiqa Razmanda, a women’s rights activist and member of the National Unity Umbrella of Afghanistan Women, mentions that their movement is organizing a virtual meeting to select a delegation to participate in the Doha conference. Human rights experts at the United Nations describe the situation of women under the rule of the Taliban as “gender-based violence,” while some members of the British Parliament have initiated research to examine the status of “gender apartheid” in Afghanistan and Iran.
––Khaama Press
