The women of Afghanistan need more than our sympathy – they need our action
3 min read
When representatives from nation states and international organisations met in Doha this summer to discuss the future of Afghanistan with the Taliban-run administration Afghan women were excluded.
To no one’s surprise, so-called Doha III went nowhere. Last month, Afghan women had their say at a conference organised by them in Tirana, Albania and attended also by women from elsewhere, including me.
It was an honour to be the only UK parliamentarian at the opening day – subsequent days were restricted to Afghan women – in my role as chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Afghan Women and Girls in the previous parliament.
On arrival, I was struck by the atmosphere of joy and anticipation, as friends and former colleagues came together. But as the initial plenary got under way with speeches from the hosts, the mood in the room became more urgent, and electrified.
There was a direct call to the United States special envoy, Rina Amiri, for the US to recognise the gender apartheid taking place in Afghanistan. A group at one table started a powerful chant of “Bread, freedom, education! Work, freedom, education!”. The Taliban may have silenced women in Afghanistan via the recent introduction of ‘vice and virtue’ laws, but they would not be silenced here. They were simply not prepared to let those dignitaries speak their warm words and nod along.
Hamish Falconer, the new parliamentary under-secretary of state for the Middle East, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, sent an online message, which was generally well received in the room. Officials from the Foreign Office were also in attendance. I can’t help but feel, however, that the UK has missed an opportunity here to more actively support the work of the summit. The main organisers, including the inspirational former deputy speaker in the Afghan parliament Fawzia Koofi, are based in the UK. Indeed, prior to the general election, the now Foreign Secretary David Lammy had explicitly supported a summit.
The summit was a first in many respects, notably because it invited women currently in Afghanistan – not just the diaspora who have been forced to leave – although a number of these brave women were prevented from attending, having been shamefully turned back by both Pakistan and Serbia. I and other international attendees met privately with the three of those that did make it. It was hard not to be humbled by their accounts of life since the return of the Taliban. The Taliban, they told us, is doing exactly what they said they would do – and the international community has stood by.
I left as the attendees looked to a further two days where they developed and agreed the Tirana Declaration that set out their plans and expectations. As the outlook darkens across the world, we must not forget Afghanistan.
As I left, I met with organisers to discuss how the APPG could provide support from Westminster. They were clear: no more panel discussions with sad stories and sympathetic audiences. Afghan women have taken action, and they expect the international community to do likewise.
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