‘Women’s rights must not be sacrificed’

KABUL (Agencies): For the first time since the collapse of Taliban regime, the ongoing peace process with the group seemed producing fruits, especially after peace deal with the US — but Afghan women despite favoring a dignify peace have expressed their anxiety with fear of losing their voice in the talks with them.

In a gathering in Kabul, women and civil activists said that women rights must not be sacrificed during peace deal with the Taliban.

“Women rights are not negotiable in peace talks,” the activists who gathered in Park-e-Shahr-e-Naw, have warned.

“Today’s Afghan women are well educated and holding different positions in government and nongovernment originations, so they won’t force us to stay at home, so we want full protection of our rights in peace negotiations,” said Women and Civil Activist, TaranomSaeedi.

“All the achievements gained in the past over 18 years must be protected.”

No one has the right to trade away the past achievements in the reconciliation process with the Taliban, she added.

Zainab, another participant and women right activists, has said that the Afghans rights, men, and women, child and girl, must be protected in the peace deal.

US President Donald Trump said that he would meet the Taliban leaders in the near future, following a peace deal signed between US and Taliban on Saturday evening in Qatar.

Talking to a new conference, he said, “I’ll be meeting personally with the Taliban leaders in the not-too distant future.” He called the Afghan war a long journey, saying that it was time to bring the American troops back home.

However, Trumps defense secretary Esper said: “However, should the Taliban fail to honor their commitments, they will forfeit their chance to sit with fellow Afghans and deliberate on the future of their country. Moreover, the United States would not hesitate to nullify the agreement”.