After August: Insights from Afghan women on the Women, Peace and Security agenda

Author: Women, Peace and Security team, UN Women Afghanistan

Women, peace and security (WPS) efforts in Afghanistan before August 2021 coalesced around the partici­pation of women – from inclusion of women in the intra-Afghan peace process1 to increasing women’s rep­resentation in governance at all levels, and in the security sector. After August 2021, the peace process disintegrated, women’s rights were systematically erased, and national institutions and legal frame­works supporting WPS priorities were dismantled. Most women peace leaders evacuated the country in re­sponse to threats and fear of reprisal. Pathways for women’s meaningful participation, across all levels of decision-making in politics, the media, the security sector and conflict prevention and resolution mechanisms which, despite challenges, had previously been possible, are currently non-existent. In the lead-up of the Global Open Debate, UN Women Afghanistan run a serios of in-country consultations with Afghan women leaders from diverse sectors in October 2022. The infor­mation presented in this briefs captures the views and policy recommendation of Afghan women on the relevance of the WPS agenda to Afghanistan.