Lakhdar Brahimi, the United Nations Special Representative for Afghanistan, met with Afghan women in Pakistan yesterday to discuss the reconstruction of post-Taliban Afghanistan. The women, many of whom were working for nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in Pakistan, strongly expressed the need for the restoration of Afghan women’s rights. The Director of the UN Information Center quoted one woman as saying, “There should be space for women’s development and education in the future of Afghanistan.” Brahimi is scheduled to meet with another group of Afghan women today.
The United Nations Security Council yesterday also highlighted the importance of women in ensuring peace and global security worldwide. In a statement adopted by the Security Council, the body announced that it “reaffirms its strong support for increasing the role of women in decision-making with regard to conflict prevention and resolution and renews its call on States to include women in the negotiations and implementation of peace accords, constitutions and strategies for resettlement and rebuilding.”
The Feminist Majority leads a major campaign aimed at restoring the rights of Afghan women, assuring that women have a role in the reconstruction process, and re-establishing a constitutional democracy in Afghanistan in which women have equal rights. To learn how you can help and to join the Feminist Majority’s Campaign to Stop Gender Apartheid in Afghanistan, log on to www.HelpAfghanWomen.com.
