I Cannot Decide my Future Because of the Ambiguous Outcome of the Negotiations

Maryam Moradi is studying law and judiciary. She said she chose this field not only out of interest, but also because as a woman, she wanted to gain a better understanding of values and social rights.

Despite being aware of the existing problems in the patriarchal atmosphere of the country both in  social and governmental levels, she decided to study law and judiciary since she experienced t devaluing ignoring women’s  problems such as harassment,. “Women will grow more in a society where there are more threats against them. The greater the pressure on humans, the more successful they will be.” She believes.

Ms. Moradi adds that by studying in this field, she wants to increase the level of women’s participation in the judiciary and law. According to her, one of the reasons for the low level of women’s participation in political and social affairs is that this group does not achieve high levels of education.

Although she has high aspirations s for her field of study and her career plans, she has not been able to decide about her plans after graduation because of the fear of the Taliban’s presence in the government. “The presence of the Taliban in government will affect the fate of women. Perhaps, they will completely exclude women from politics and society.” Said Ms. Moradi.  She hoped that the peace negotiating team would not ignore the rights and values of citizens, especially women, as well as their achievements in recent years.  She added that women should also advocate for their rights.

Ms. Moradi said that in the Taliban’s view, when a woman becomes powerful, she becomes aware of her rights and, as a result, gains the power to advocate for her rights and does not accept injustice. Therefore, they always try to exclude women from society. She added that the Taliban’s ideology is concerning and that their view will not change.

According to Ms. Maryam, the presence of female judges is one of the needs of the society, and they should work to establish their position in the society during and after the peace talks. She added that the presence of women in every field contributes to its further growth and development. When a woman studies law, she becomes aware of her and others’ human rights and tries to raise awareness among other women. She said that women should work in collaboration with men to achieve their rights and gain 25 to 30 percent share in the judiciary. Ms. Moradi said that since most threats such as assaults and injuries in society are directed at women, female judges can better defend their rights because of their better understanding of women’s situation.

Ms. Moradi said that women, who comprise half of the country’s population and should receive benefits from peace accordingly, whereas not much attention has been paid towards  women’s participation in the peace process, which is meanwhile not acceptable to Afghan women.