Author: Sayed Hussain Hussainy

Recognition of the fundamental rights of various social groups, including women, men and ethnic minorities, is an issue that has been emphasized by civil society activists since the beginning of the peace process. According to these people, a peace in which this issue is ignored is not acceptable.In an interview the CSHRN, Ismail Zaki said that peace would be universal and acceptable when the rights of all classes are recognized and their human contribution to be considered. Mr. Ismail Zaki added, “Peace in which the rights and freedoms of individuals are not taken into account is not peace, in other words, it is calmness before the storm; it means an unstable peace that will be followed by another war.”CSHRN: What is your assessment of what has happened so far in the peace talks?Zaki: Based on what we have heard so far from interviews between the two sides and the information that is more or less available, unfortunately the Taliban have not yet shown the necessary flexibility and the expected importance of peace. On the other hand, the group has unfortunately escalated its violence and increased its attacks in some provinces, even destabilizing some parts of the two provinces, which are often referred to as safe provinces. In general, I would like to say that the peace talks have not gone to a positive direction and are not very promising.CSHRN: How reasonable do you think it is to expect the Taliban to change their views on the issue of women?Zaki: I do not believe in the flexibility of the Taliban at all. In a video conference we had with Mr. Khalilzad, we also asked his opinion about the change in the Taliban, and the answer we got was that the Taliban say they are not the Taliban of the…

Some researchers believe that the Taliban's lack of clarity on women's rights in government after the peace agreement may mean that the group does not change its beliefs about women.In an interview the CSHRN, Dr. Sayed Asif Hosseini said that the Taliban have not given a clear answer on the issue of women's rights, which means that they are trying to suppress women. “The Taliban have not given a clear answer about women's rights in a possible post-peace society, which means that they are trying to oppress women, even if they are not as successful as they used to be. This group has not changed its ideological beliefs.”, said Dr. Sayed Asif Hosseini.CSHRN: Can the presence of women in peace talks affect the group's anti-feminist approach?Hosseini: The presence of women in the talks is certainly good, but the reality is that it has no effect on the peace process with a group that does not recognize women and their presence.CSHRN: Do women in the government’ negotiating team have the competence and ability to represent women and defend their rights?Hosseini: Yes, I think they are qualified enough to face the Taliban, but the argument is that on the one hand they can say nothing beyond the government's agenda, and on the other hand the Taliban do not recognize their presence and see it as symbolic.CSHRN: Should the government accept restrictions on women’s rights?Hosseini: The government must stubbornly resist any restrictions on women's rights. Women's rights in the current context of Afghan society are in fact the red line of all political issues. If the active presence of women in society is guaranteed, society will move forward for the better.CSHRN: Apart from security issues and the opposition of the Taliban, what other problems in society are considered as obstacles to…

Talking to CSHRN, Homaira Qaderi, Afghan people suffered from deprivation under the Taliban regime in the 1990s. With the new political establishment in 2001, a new horizon was opened to the people to attend schools and universities; however, as a result of discriminatory policies, educational institutions became politicized. Many people were deprived of education consequently.CSHRN: How will the peace agreement positively affect the situation?Homaira: As long as the law is not enforced and citizens are not respected, I don’t think if the peace deal can help the situation for the better. Peace is not just the absence of war; it is also about peace of mind. Part of the current security deterioration is due to poverty and economic crisis.CSHRN: How do you assess the progress in peace talks?Homaira: As women have always been sidelined in Afghanistan, women are now present in the peace negotiations despite a disproportionate number. This brings hope to Afghan people and their military forces who have suffered a lot. And yet, my main concern is that each side of the negotiation will attempt to use the peace talks as a springboard to advance their personal interests. The government has the responsibility to hold and raise the public’s messages and concerns. Peacebuilding takes time and the Taliban must embrace peace because they are also citizens of this country.CSHRN: How do you evaluate the capacity of women representatives to defend women’s rights?Homaira: There are concerns about their capacity and integrity in protecting women’s rights. For example, some of the members might represent only the government rather than the Afghan population as a whole. However, it is time to maintain our solidarity.CSRHN: What do you mean by representing the government?Homaira: Those members holding government positions will undoubtedly be aligned with the government. Otherwise, they will lose their…

Although one of the Afghan government's demands for peace talks with the Taliban was to establish a ceasefire; not only was this condition not met before the talks began, but even now, more than a month after the commencement of peace talks, Taliban attacks have been continuing in various parts of the country and they have caused a lot of casualties. Officials at women's organizations in the southern part of the country are concerned about the situation, saying that if the violence continues, there will be no hope for peace."Not only have the details of the talks not been properly communicated to the people, but with the start of the talks, war and violence. It has increased in the country, and if this situation continues, we cannot hope for peace”, said Mrs. Zazai in an interview with the CSHRN. She added, "People expected a ceasefire to begin with the start of peace talks, but the opposing team has reportedly not yet agreed on a ceasefire. In my opinion, peace cannot be achieved if war and violence continue and civilians are killed every day."CSHRN: Aside from the issue of ceasefire, what other concerns do you have about peace talks?Zazai: Our other concern is about ignoring women's rights. Women's rights are still being violated in the southern provinces, and fortunately in some of these provinces, including Paktia province, a number of women are fighting for women's rights. Women in the province face more problems such as forced marriage and education bans, women still do not have full access to health care, and women in Paktia still lose their lives at the time of labor. It should be noted that a small number of women in the southern provinces are engaged in social activities and advocacy for women's rights.CSHRN: Do female…

A number of civil society activists in Khost province have expressed disappointment with the outcome of the peace talks.In an interview with the CSHRN, Merajuddin Meraj said that he is not very optimistic about peace talks. He added that it is difficult for both sides to reach a final decision and agreement, and it may take a long time, since the demands of the government and the Taliban are different and there are many differences.CSHRN: Given the history of the Taliban, especially with regards to women, will the negotiations entail positive outcome?Meraj: The very nature of women's political participation and their activities alongside men in these negotiations may have changed their views.CSHRN: Which issues related to women should further be considered in negotiations?Meraj: Protecting the rights and achievements of women in recent years is one of the issues to be discussed in peace negotiations. Conducive environment for access to rights, including work and education, which Islam has provided for women, must be provided for them. Another issue is that women in large cities have some services, but in remote districts and areas, women have less access to various facilities and should be provided with access to these facilities, including job opportunities to help them become economically self-sufficient. CSHRN: Apart from security issues and the opposition of the Taliban, what other issue hinders the progress of women in society?Meraj: Many reasons are involved. One of the most important obstacles to women's progress is extremist thinking. Women will not be fully liberated until extremism is eliminated.CSHRN: How can peace talks be used as an opportunity to advance women’s rights?Meraj: These talks are a great opportunity for the people of Afghanistan and the opposition. Such an opportunity might not be provided again. Ceasefire must be established at the beginning of the talks…

Among women's concerns about the ambiguous consequences of peace talks, some believe that women will not be able to achieve their rights unless they change their approach.In an interview with the CSHRN, Mr. Ahmadi said that Afghan women will fail if they continue on the same path they have chosen for years. They have to reconsider their methods used in the post-Taliban period. Women need to fight for their rights. Otherwise, they will fail.CSHRN: Can women’s underrepresentation in the government’s negotiating team weaken women’s position?Ahmadi: First, defending women's rights is not only the responsibility of women, but also of men. Secondly, I do not believe that quantity is as important as quality. It would be useless if dozens of female representatives were in this group, but could not defend women's rights.CSHRN: Do women in negotiating team have the ability to be the true representative of women?Ahmadi: They are committed, but what enhances their ability to defend women's rights is shared view with other team members and social support.CSHRN: Where does this social support come from?Ahmadi: In pursuit of their rights, women can create movements that will help them achieve their rights and social support. Mr. Ahmadi added that women can use social media, meetings, rallies and marches to voice their objections to both sides of the negotiation, in which case it is certain that team members can better defend them.CSHRN: Who should voice such objections?Ahamdi: Female students and professors, women activists, female journalists, teachers must all speak with one voice and demand their rights clearly. They can defend their rights by becoming a single and independent voice.According to him, some believe that only men should be involved in matters of war and peace. However, women can play a decisive role in these issues with unity and seriousness.  CSHRN: Have…

After the fall of the Taliban regime, profoundchanges took place in different sections of the society. Theyoung  generation,  both boys and girlshave access to educational opportunities. These opportunities have become the basis for further progress and success in recent years. The presence of women in various sectors, including governmentalpositions and social activities  are  part of these successes.In an interview with  the CSHRN, Mr. Rahmani said that the Taliban's demands indicate that they want to revive the Islamic Emirate which is not acceptable for the people of Afghanistan. Women who are highly educated and hold public office, work in society or have private businesses cannot be ignored. It is also impossible to sacrifice a young generation of millions  who are graduated from  unviversities seeking change.CSHRN: How can women’s presence in the peace talks affect the Taliban’s view of women?Rahmani: Women’s presence in the government’s team surprised the Taliban. However, the Taliban’s views of women have not changed and as long as the Taliban do not accept the objective social, political and cultural facts of the last two decades about women, and until there is a profound ideological shift in their beliefs, we should be seriously concerned about the violation of women's rights in areas where the Taliban will control after the peace agreement. Both male and female members of the negotiating team should act as moderate Muslims to represent the value of our constitution.CSHRN: If the Taliban impose restrictions on women's rights, what should be the government's position?Rahmani: Any restrictions on women's rights should be addressed. We aspire for peace but the Taliban want killing and destruction. However, war is preferable to authoritarian peace. If an authoritarian peace is established, it will not last more than five years before a civil war is shaped. It is better for the…

The presence of women representatives in the government's negotiating team for peace talks is one of the issues that many believe can have a significant impact on the quality and the outcome of negotiations. Some believe that the very presence of women in peace talks will convey to the opposing team the fact that women in Afghanistan today are more aware than ever and will never step back.In an interview with the CSHRN, Mr. Ashrafi Khorasani said that women, as one of the main victims of war and violence in the country, could be the voice of justice in an international level and their presence in peace talks would convey to the opposing team the fact that Afghan women will not accept the return to Taliban regime. He added, "The presence of women, in fact, warns the opposing group that Afghan women have reached the needed awareness and are not currently returning to the Taliban emirate, because women today, given their growth and development, want to participate in political power and to own authority to live in an open-minded society where they can work side by side with men for their excellence and evolvement. I think this will definitely be effective."CSHRN: How do you assess the peace talks?Ashrafi Khorasani: Our society needs peace in any case and I hope we can achieve a long-lasting peace in any way possible. It is satisfactory to start the talks in a preliminary way and to enter the so-called stage of peace-building. The fact that the two sides are sitting around the negotiating table instead of fighting is a success and this promises peace throughout the country.CSHRN: Is restrictions acceptable on women’s rights?Ashrafi Khorasani: I think there may be some restrictions and we have to pay this price to achieve peace, but…

Some of the citizens with concern to the result of peace talks say that, if a proper and credible commitment is not going to be made with Taliban, the citizens specially women in Afghanistan may experience the Taliban regime once again.In an interview with the CSHRN, Khodadad Watankhah said that their main concern is that, Taliban as power partner in Afghanistan, use their ideologies of their regime while dealing with women. Yahia Erfan added, “We are seriously concerned that after peace talks, the Taliban use the same misogynous looks as they used to do during their regime towards women. If Afghan government and world community do not emphasize rigidly on protecting women’s rights, they might be more restricted even like thirty years back and that is a disaster.”CSHRN: According to what Taliban’s leaders have said in inaugural of peace talks, they still persist in establishment of an Islamic government in Afghanistan, do you think making peace with such group will lead to desired result?Erfan: According to my opinion, controversy over Islamic government is something far from the fact. Because if there is an argument about Islam, the constitution of Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, the system that Laws and provisions, procedures and doctrines are implemented based on that, are all Islamic. No law is enforced if it is against Islamic norms. Therefore, I believe talking about Islamic government is a kind of blackmail. In another words, Taliban want to have the control of the process in order to convince the government of Afghanistan of some other terms and desires of themselves.CSHRN: How should the government use the peace talks as an opportunity?Erfan: Since the government of Afghanistan has entered into the dialogues with a comprehensive and proper position, this is a good opportunity to create a new national debate…

A number of women's rights activists in Kapisa say the outcome of the talks will not be satisfactory if the women members of the negotiating team do not agree on issues to be discussed in the peace talks and how to raise them with the Taliban.“Despite the skepticism about the outcome of the peace process; I hope the delegates are honest and move forward with the same points of view”, said Sarah Sirat, a women's rights activist in Kapisa, in an interview with the CSHRN.Criticizing the inequality of the number of male and female representatives in the negotiating team; some women activists say that because peace and war are believed by some to be masculine, women have a smaller share of the team, but Ms. Sirat believes that women have never been to war and they have been the common victims of the war. Ms. Sirat added, “Women have always lost their brothers, husbands, fathers and children, and they have suffered a lot psychologically and hence they should not stay in the minority in decisions that affect their destiny”.According to Ms. Sirat, the absence of representatives of the media, civil society and victims of war in peace talks is seen and felt, and since some of these groups do not trust the transparency of this process, they have the right to be present and be informed of its content.CSHRN: What problems do women face in Kapisa?Sirat: One of the main problems for women in the province is insecurity, which sometimes causes girls and women to be forced to drop out of school and work; a problem that is more prevalent in Taliban-held districts.According to Ms. Sirat, another part of women's problems in Kapisa is related to job opportunities. She says, “Study opportunity is good here and one member…