THE plight of women and girls under the Taliban was one of the justifications for the 2001 military intervention in Afghanistan. Yet as the tenth anniversary approaches, Afghanistan is still considered to be among the worst places in the world to be a woman.
The UK government will attend the Bonn Conference on December 5, where the peace process will be a key focus. This process will include talks with the Taliban and, without guarantees on human rights the promises made to Afghan women by the international community could well be sacrificed.
Amnesty York met Hugh Bayley MP on October 14 on this issue. Mr Bayley agreed that it would be a betrayal if the Taliban were allowed to renew their cruel and contemptuous treatment of Afghan women and girls.
Amnesty International welcomes the UK government’s efforts to support women’s human rights in Afghanistan. However, it is concerned the government believes the process has to be “Afghan-led”. The process must be shaped and decided by Afghans, but these decisions cannot be confined to men in the ruling elite and former commanders.
Barbara Lodge, Amnesty International Yor
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