In the name of Almighty Allah
Recommendations of the national conference on strengthening women’s role in peace-building
Oct 14, 2012
Kabul-Afghanistan
Peace is one of the most significant requirements of all Afghans. Peace makes the ground for our people towards the national, social, economic development and c national solidarity. Peace is one of the messages of Islam. Allah calls upon human beings for peace and the prophet Muhammad has leaded the Muslims to live in peace and respect tolerance and coexistence. Peace is an accepted requirement at national and international level. The government of Afghanistan is responsible on the behalf of Afghan people to secure peace in the country.
Since three years, the government of Afghanistan with the support of the international community has launched wide efforts for peace-building. Establishment of High Peace Council (HPC) to administrate efforts for peace in the country is one of the most important measures.
Peace became as one of the most important agenda of the government but the enemies of peace has limited and challenged the peace process. It seems that illegal interventions from abroad have negatively affected the peace process.
Women make half of population of our society. Women were the main victims of continuous wars in Afghanistan and have suffered from perpetual violence. The role of women is very important Women should have favorable opportunities like men for participating in peace-building processes. The principle based on demand and will, of women should be included in political programs of the government and international strategies. A series of regional conferences were organized and conducted by the High Peace Council and the Civil Society and Human Rights Network of Afghanistan. The regional conferences started from the provinces and consequently the “National Conference on Strengthening the Role of Women in Peace Process”, conducted in Kabul. In this national conference, representatives from all of the provinces including the representatives of religious scholars, civil society institutions, women rights organizations, women rights activists, intellectuals, representatives of academic institutions and human rights activist have participated.
The conferences which were launched on six zones of the country show that there is a huge and legitimate intention for activating the role of women nationally and the representatives of the people has intellectual and practical contribution for activating the role of women.
The recommendations which were stated by the representatives of the zones today in the conference shows that, strengthening the role of women in peace programs has gained its national legitimacy.
The drafting Committee of the Recommendations of the National Conference has studied the recommendations of all regions and combined them. These recommendations have been consolidated in a unified document as following:
1- The participants of the regional and national conference recommend that, the religious scholars should try their best in strengthening the role of women in the peace-building process in Afghanistan. The religious scholars by using their influence should cooperate with the High Peace Council and the Civil Society and Human Rights Network of Afghanistan for strengthening the role of women in peace building process. Religious scholars can present useful programs in respect to strengthening the role of women in peace. The national conference recommends that the ministry of Hajj and endowments, the high peace council and the civil society of Afghanistan, to set up some useful programs in order to strengthen the role of women in peace and apply them. Based on this program, the religious scholars of the country should consider the importance of women’s role in peace as one of their most significant plan and program.
2- The participants of conferences from all regions and provinces have recommended that additional and extensive work should be carried out for realization of the United Nations Security Council’s Resolution 1325. Furthermore for applying and implementation of this resolution, huge and massive campaign should be initiated. The dialogues in all regions and Kabul show that the execution of this resolution can play an important role in the protection of human rights and consolidation of peace. Implementation of this resolution ensures to monitor the role of women and gender balance in peace programs and political decisions. The national conference recommends that some special programs should be initiated for the capacity building of the governmental and civil institutions in respect of The United Nations Security Council’s Resolution 1325. The conference recommends that the Civil Society and Human Rights Network of Afghanistan and the High Peace Council should launch a joint program in order to implement the decisions of this important resolution.
3- Popularization and promotion of women’s rights, according to national and international commitments of Afghanistan , is one of the most important points in activating the role of women in peace. National and regional conferences showed that the majority of women especially in the provinces and remote areas of the country have urgent need for educational programs regarding women’s rights and their role in peace-building. The national conference recommends that the Civil Society and Human Rights Network of Afghanistan, on behalf of the civil society along with the High Peace Council, should launch some huge and extensive awareness programs regarding the role of women in peace-building. These programs should be launched by simple and clear language in close cooperation of the religious scholars throughout the country.
4- The last ten years has defined a useful framework for strengthening the role of women in the community. The constitution of Afghanistan alongside some laws has approved the important role of women in the society and has guaranteed the legal framework of civil, political, social and cultural liberties for women in Afghanistan. The recommendations of Kabul and regional conferences clearly stated that women’s rights and their liberties should not be sacrificed by political deals and the role of women should not be disregarded during the transition period. The illegal armed groups’ tries to present the role of women inconsiderably and ignore their achievements, have been gained during the last ten years. The national conference recommends that the High Peace Council should stringently consider the lawful and important role of women and should not immolate this role for political deals. The conference asks all the civil society institutions in order to advocate for maintaining the last ten years’ achievements of women in relation to the civil and political liberties and strengthen women participation and never let this significant role to be marginalized.
5- The national and regional conferences have stated the implementation of the rule of law as one of their most important recommends to the government of Afghanistan. The recent outdoor law courts show how the armed enemies of the government ignore the legal values and human rights and dignity of women and humiliating them. Beating women in public, lapidating women very brutally and shooting of women very heinously, are examples of such inhuman behaviors. These antihuman approaches are causing limitations towards women’s participation in political and social life and seriously damage their values and rights. The national conference suggests the government of Afghanistan to reconnoiter or recognize the criminals of such unforgivable crimes and submit them to the court.
6- The participants from the center part of the country have expressed their deepest concerns regarding the insecurity in this region. The enemies of the country have recently committed unforgivable crimes on the Kabul-Bamyan road and severely damaged the security of this area. The national conference recommends that the High Peace Council should create the peace committee of Bamyan and also initiate reconciliation and negotiation programs in this province, as soon as possible. The participants of the regional conference express that the lack of unemployment in central regions, is one of the main factors of the recent insecurities and ask the government to initiate employment programs in these regions in order to bring security and prevent instability in these regions.
7- The participants of regional conferences of south and east zones have expressed their deep concerns regarding Pakistan ‘s rocket attacks on eastern provinces of the country and called them against the international norms and humanity. Moreover, the participants have emphasized that the government of Afghanistan should immediately prevent these interventions and pave the way for negotiations with Pakistan.
8- The participants of the North and North-East zone’s regional conference had recommended that the political parties should take more part in strengthening the role of women in political, economic and social lives and schedule some programs or plans on the importance of this role in connection with reinforcement of peace. Additionally, the participants ask all of the political parties to consider equality and gender in all of their political programs and pay attention to the role of women in their policies.
9- The participants of the regional conference of the Western part of the country, emphasized on establishment and activation of “women’s network for peace” and recommended the national conference, that the High Peace Council and the Civil Society and Human Rights Network of Afghanistan should include the creation and activation of this network in their working plans.
10- The process of the dialogues in Kabul, as well as in the provinces, indicate that the role of women is less and feeble in the High Peace Council’s programs and need to be strengthened. The participators of the regional conferences have emphasized that the reinforcement of women’s role in policy-making, negotiation process regarding peace and in executive secretariat of the High Peace Council, can be respond efficiently to women’s demand and desires; hence, the national conference recommends the High Peace Council in consulting with the civil society to increase and strengthen women participation in HPC structures. The strengthening of women’s role should include; increasing the number of women in the High Peace Council, secretariat of the High Peace Council, provincial committees and the secretariat of the provincial committees of peace.
11- The media can play a significant role in strengthening the role of women in peace programs. T.V and Radio programs can be the best devices or tools for realization of women’s role in peace process and elimination of violence. This principle has been presented by all of the participants in the regional conferences. The national conference recommends the entire media to launch some special programs regarding strengthening the role of women in peace-building process and give them more chance to participate in such programs.
12- Peace has become one of the major agendas on international strategies. The international strategic role is very important in consolidating peace and security in the country. The participants of the national conference ask the representatives of the international community in Afghanistan, particularly human rights and women rights supporters, to defend and support the programs of strengthening the role of women in peace building processes because supporting of human rights and women rights in peace processes, has become one of the basic need of Afghanistan.
13- On strengthening the role of women in consolidating peace and security, there is an urgent need in order to coordinate the programs of the government of Afghanistan with the structures of the United Nations, in accordance with the decisions of the United Nations Security Council’s resolution 1325. The national conference recommends that the United Nations’ office in Afghanistan should launch a constructive and useful dialogue between the government of Afghanistan and the international structures and give the chance to the civil society of Afghanistan to take part in this enormous program. This program can strengthen the political will of the Afghan government in strengthening the role of women in peace programs.
This recommendation will be sent to the government of Afghanistan, the civil society of Afghanistan, the media of Afghanistan, the political parties in Afghanistan and international organizations in Afghanistan. The participants of this conference request all of them to consider this recommendation and the legitimate demand of Afghans. The recommendations of this conference will be implemented by the High Peace Council and the Civil Society and Human Rights Network of Afghanistan in accordance to the available opportunities and possibilities.
Expecting a fair and lasting peace in Afghanistan and around the world!