Afghan women

The Afghan National Girls Youth Football team, its coaches, and their families were facing threats from the Taliban.

The Taliban have said that women will be allowed to work, but “within the framework of Shariah.” If history is any guide, the Taliban's interpretation will be strict.

“They have handed our country the way you hand over a book or a bottle of water... We were happy for the war to end, but we didn’t expect the end to be like this.”

If guarantees of preserving progress in women’s rights are not included in any potential political settlement, they remain prone to reverses. 

Hosna Jalil on fighting harassment, discrimination, and death threats as one of Afghanistan’s highest-ranking female officials.

Any political settlement that doesn’t guarantee women’s rights and opportunities has failed before it has begun.

To guarantee a peace process that will materialize and come to fruition, women need to be substantively involved at every level, from pre-negotiation to talks.

“Being a woman in Afghanistan requires guts,” Suraya Shaheedi, a female tattoo artist, says.

Concern over the inclusion of women’s rights in a political solution with the Taliban prompted the move.