Friday, April 19, 2013

Beyond 2014: Sustaining the Commitment to Women and Girls in Afghanistan

Great strides have been made to promote rights and opportunities for Afghan women and girls. Yet the continuing incidents compromising the security and rights of Afghan women necessitate a strengthened and renewed commitment by Kabul and the international community to ensure that women are, in the words of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, “front and center,” in the transition process.

Undoubtedly, the coming year will be a critical test for the international community and the Afghan government in terms of implementing inclusive and sustainable peacebuilding mechanisms in Afghanistan. Much focus has been placed on the size of the residual force which will remain as NATO troops withdraw in 2014, the Afghan presidential election scheduled for April 5, 2014, and peace talks with the Taliban (who continue to increase their use of violence while refusing to negotiate). While Washington has pledged not to support a peace agreement that could jeopardize the rights of women and minority groups, there are growing fears that the accomplishments of the past 11 years will be undermined once international forces leave.

See full Article: http://www.fletcherforum.org/2013/04/09/sultan/