It is not concealed from most of us that women are not permitted proper participation in different institutions in our country. Almost all of the social and political institutions have been dominated by men. It is not because women do not have the required ability. The fact is that they are not provided the opportunities to do so. Most of the female members of the society are not allowed to get education. The ones who can somehow study to a certain level are not allowed to pursue the careers of their choice. Most of them end up with spending most of their lives within the confinements of their houses.
Recently the women members of the High Peace Council (HPC) have raised concerns that they are being sidelined – they are not being made the part of important decision making regarding any effort for reconciliation process. Out of a total of 70 members, there are 9 women in HPC. Gulali Noor Safi one of the women in the Council has said, “We are trying to be involved in the peace process but in my opinion, most of the time we’re not included in major discussions… Our mission is to figure out how to keep the role of women active in High Peace Council and not have our presence serve only as a statistic.”
It is really important that women should have a voice in the reconciliation process with Taliban as their rights have largely been neglected by them. Taliban have largely been responsible for degrading the status of women in Afghan society and introducing worst kind of violence against them.
It is really important that women should have their representation in different social and political institutions in the country and they should be made an important part of different processes. Though there have been improvements in this regard since the end of Taliban regime, the concerns seems to be rising recently. It is unfortunate to note that President Karzai himself backed the controversial recommendations from clerics to separate the sexes in the workplace.
The recommendations also included the permission of beating of the wives by husbands under certain circumstances. Gulali Noor Safi, in the same regard, has mentioned, “What is worrying is the government backing the recommendations of the Ulema council… It is the government’s responsibility to protect women’s rights and not have them compromised. So long as they do so, then the Taliban will have to, as well.” It is really important that government must not support the discriminatory ideas against the women.
Afghan society is a society that has been dominated by male chauvinism and its history has been filled with various incidents of ruthless violence against women. There are different sorts of such incidents every now and then in different parts of country even in today’s Afghanistan. Government can prove to be a hope for the women. If it itself encourages the intentions that may undermine the rights of women, it would be very difficult to expect the same from common people.
US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton also emphasized on the protection of women rights in any sort of peace deal with Taliban. She said, “We will not waiver on this point – any peace that is attempted to be made by excluding more than half the population is no peace at all. It is a figment that will not last.”
It is really important that women’s rights must be followed in Afghanistan so as to bring lasting peace and stability; however, for that to happen it is really important to bring about changes at the basic perception of the society about women. They, just like the male members of society, should have all their social and political rights and must not be confined to their houses. It is really important that women should be felt as an important and useful part of the society and, above all, they should be considered human beings.