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Include women in Afghan restructuring

Christian Science Monitor

Regarding "US diplomacy races to catch up to rebel gains" (Nov. 14): As diplomats scramble to avoid a long guerrilla war in Afghanistan, efforts to create a new government are focusing on a broad-based, multiethnic coalition. And while the inclusion of all ethnicities in any peace talks will be vital to ensure that Afghanistan does not once again descend into anarchy, one social group is consistently overlooked in these deliberations: women. Women's rights were severely curtailed under the Taliban's five-year rule, yet the oppression of Afghan women predates the Taliban. Many of the male leaders now being wooed as peace brokers by the international community have less than outstanding records on women's rights. There are many women leaders in the refugee camps of Pakistan who should be given the opportunity to voice their concerns about any future coalition.

As one Afghan refugee woman recently told a UN Security Council meeting on women's roles in peace-building, "Do not think that because we wear a veil, we do not have a voice."

Mary Diaz
Nov. 14, 2001
Executive Director, Women's Commission for Refugee Women and Children
New York