Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan has been engulfed in violent armed conflict since the fall of the Taliban regime in 2001, and efforts to build sustainable peace while preventing the re-establishment of extremist rule depend on the inclusion of women.
Living in the most dangerous place in the world to be a woman, as the Thomas Reuters Foundation revealed in 2011, Afghani women have emerged as leaders in the peace process— advocating constantly for more inclusive government, and inspiring marginalized groups nationwide to demand a place in the political system. Despite the important role that Afghani women play in bringing about social change in Afghanistan, many barriers to their involvement still exist.
Based on the work of NGOWG members and their partners, the NGOWG advocates for eliminating these barriers by encouraging UNAMA to support the Afghan government in fully implementing the National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security (NAP), and ensuring women’s full and equal participation in regularly held elections.
Current and Past Recommendations to the UN Security Council (Monthly Action Points)
Afghanistan (March 2016)
In the renewal of the mandate of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), Council members must reinforce prior commitments to increase participation of women in Afghanistan’s political, economic and social life, and continue to call on Afghanistan to ensure that the human rights of women and girls are not compromised in the pursuit of other interests. The Council should ensure SCRs 2122 (2013) and 2242 (2015) are reflected throughout the renewed mandate by including provisions which:
- Support women’s inclusion on the negotiating team in upcoming talks with the Taliban, as well as all decision making bodies involved in the peace process;
- Require continuous consultation with women from civil society and better integrate women led civil society organizations into monitoring implementation of the country’s peace and reconciliation process;
- Strengthen support for human rights monitoring and implementation by continuing to support the independence and effectiveness of the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission and continue to assist in the implementation of the Elimination of Violence Against Women Law, and increase UNAMA’s role in monitoring implementation;
- Require sex and age disaggregated data to be included in reporting on civilian casualties, injuries and humanitarian assistance; and
- Adopt gender as a cross-cutting issue in the mandate, including by mandating the deployment of gender advisors and the systematic solicitation of senior gender expertise and advice across UNAMA activities (SCRs 2106 (2013), OP 8; 2122 (2013), OP 4).
In the renewal of the mandate of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), Council members must reinforce prior commitments to increase participation of women in Afghanistan’s political, economic and social life, and continue to call on Afghanistan to ensure that the human rights of women and girls are not compromised in the pursuit of other interests. The Council should ensure SCRs 2122 (2013) and 2242 (2015) are reflected throughout the renewed mandate by including provisions which:
- Support women’s inclusion on the negotiating team in upcoming talks with the Taliban, as well as all decision making bodies involved in the peace process;
- Require continuous consultation with women from civil society and better integrate women led civil society organizations into monitoring implementation of the country’s peace and reconciliation process;
- Strengthen support for human rights monitoring and implementation by continuing to support the independence and effectiveness of the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission and continue to assist in the implementation of the Elimination of Violence Against Women Law, and increase UNAMA’s role in monitoring implementation;
- Require sex and age disaggregated data to be included in reporting on civilian casualties, injuries and humanitarian assistance; and
- Adopt gender as a cross-cutting issue in the mandate, including by mandating the deployment of gender advisors and the systematic solicitation of senior gender expertise and advice across UNAMA activities (SCRs 2106 (2013), OP 8; 2122 (2013), OP 4).
Relevant Resources
