Doha deal excludes Afghan women from political engagement: HRW

Kabul: The Doha agreement, which was signed between the US and the Taliban, is less transparent and also excluded Afghan women from political engagement to a great extent, Heather Barr, the associate director of the Women’s Rights Division at Human Rights Watch said, Khaama Press reported on Sunday.

In a tweet, Heather Barr on Saturday accused Zalmy Khalilzad, the former US Special Representative for Afghanistan reconciliation of undermining women’s rights in the Doha Agreement.

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Barr said that neglecting women or not considering them in a part of discussions about Afghanistan was contrary to the principles of the UN Security Council Resolution 1325.

Barr considered the 2020 Doha Agreement as an example of ignoring women’s rights for a political settlement, reported Khaama Press.

I know states "mandating a report" doesn't sound like much use when every day girls/women are being denied education, income, food, healthcare, political voice, everything. But this is an important opening for activists to try a new strategy. The Taliban should be worried.
— Heather Barr (@heatherbarr1) June 15, 2023

She further added that Doha Agreement paved the way for the Islamic Emirates’ return to Afghanistan, which eventually caused the systematic violation of women’s rights after 2021.

This comes as human rights organizations had previously criticized the violation of basic rights of women, including accessing education, work, and political and social engagements by the Taliban regime, according to Khaama Press.

Afghanistan’s women have faced numerous challenges since the Taliban returned to power in 2021. Girls and women in the war-torn country have no access to education, employment and public spaces.

Taliban has imposed draconian restrictions on the rights to freedom of expression, association, assembly, and movement for women and girls.

Not only this, Taliban leaders have also disregarded international calls for women and girls to be given access to education and employment. Apparently, they have also issued warnings to other nations not to meddle in Afghanistan’s domestic affairs.

The Taliban have barred girls from attending secondary school, restricted women and girls’ freedom of movement, excluded women from most areas of the workforce and banned women from using parks, gyms and public bath houses.

(Except for the headline, the story has not been edited by Siasat staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)