ANALYSIS: Women and Peacemaking in Afghanistan: Room for Optimism?

As the military effort in Afghanistan has stumbled, more attention has been paid to finding a political solution to the conflict – which necessarily involves some negotiation with the Taliban. But after decades of war, Afghans are sceptical of peace processes. Women in particular fear being excluded and losing their hard-won rights.

The 2001 Bonn Agreement which followed the fall of the Taliban regime made commitments to gender-sensitive government and since then some progress has been made including the establishment of the Ministry of Women's Affairs; the approval of a National Action Plan for Women (NAPWA); women's representation in the Cabinet as Ministers; and a 25% parliamentary quota for women.

The most recent effort by the Government to push forward the peace process was the National Consultative Peace Jirga (NCPJ) held in June 2010. Some 1600 delegates were drawn from parliament, civil society, tribal leaders and even refugees living in Iran and Pakistan. A quarter of the delegates were women.

The women who participated in the Jirga convinced their fellow participants to adopt a resolution which noted that the “people of Afghanistan demand a just peace which can guarantee the rights of all citizens in particular women and children”. This commitment was also reiterated by the Kabul International Conference on Afghanistan in July 2010 as a result of the efforts of Mrs. Palwasha Hasan (a representative from civil society who had been elected by representatives of Afghan women to attend the conference) and other Afghan women lobbying from the periphery of the conference.

The key outcome of the NCPJ was the agreement to create a High Peace Council to follow up on the recommendations made by the Jirga. This Council has 70 members, of whom only nine are women. Two of the female members are at the executive level and seven are on working committees. These women come from parliament, civil society and the Government. Most of the female Afghan politicians and intellectuals I interact with are thinking carefully about how to influence the current peace process with all the parties engaged in the conflict (for example, the Taliban and other insurgent groups) particularly given the limited presence of women in this new, potentially influential, supreme peace council. The task is made no easier by persistent religious and cultural views that make it hard to bring men and women together.

Afghan women are right to be sceptical. Over time we have seen our moderate expectations repeatedly lowered. Given this low level of delivery on promises, Afghan women worry that women's rights will be traded away in a deal with the Taliban. The Government of Afghanistan has maintained a position that insurgents must respect Afghanistan's constitution, including its commitments to women's rights. Despite the fact that there has been no statement issued by the insurgents describing their views on the participation of Afghan women in peace talks, women are concerned that the Taliban will not agree to having women on the other side of the negotiating table and the Government will renege on its commitments to women's rights.

One small positive sign is that some women participated in the dialogue process held in the Maldives in January 2010 between Afghan Government officials and members of insurgent groups (former Taliban members and the Mujaheedin party of Hezb-i-Islami). Four women drawn from the upper and lower houses participated in the conference.

However, much more needs to be done to ensure that women are included in the peace process. Afghan women understand that any peace process and reconciliation must be realistic but they do not want to be sacrificed for the interests of male society.

One creative idea some women have suggested is to make an effort to talk to women who are family members of opposition groups. Of course, one obstacle to this plan is persuading men to allow their female family members to talk to other women. But if it works, it would involve women from opposition groups in the peace talks and also indirectly influence the men involved in negotiations.

International actors also have their part to play in making sure competent women are part of decision-making processes. As the Afghan Women's Network noted in a statement issued after the London Conference on Afghanistan in January 2010, “Women should be consulted by and represented by the authorities developing the national Peace and Reintegration Process. The proposed Peace and Reintegration Trust Fund to finance the Afghan-led Peace and Reintegration Program should ensure that a proportion of the financial incentives to communities to support reintegration are used to support women's empowerment and development and the protection of their human rights through rigorous monitoring and redress”.

In terms of the High Peace Council itself, many more women need to be included in its ranks. The Council should also create a formal channel for women around the country to voice their views and concerns about the negotiations. Those women that are included also need to make sure they engage with, and inform, women outside the process.

Wahida Samad is head of the Social and Cultural Affairs Department of the Office of Administrative Affairs and Council of Ministers Secretariat. She was General Director of Finance and Administration in the Independent Administrative Reform Civil Servant Commission three years ago. Before joining the Afghan government, she worked for the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) and UN-Habitat. During her work with the UN she delivered training to women on a range of topics, working with women's community forums which were based in their homes during Taliban rule. In her current position she supports women's participation in policy and decision-making, integrating women's views into government programmes and supporting women ministers and general directors in their work.