Afghan women seek role in peace process

Amid government's hectic efforts to hold dialogue with Taliban militants and find peaceful settlement to Afghanistan lingering crisis, the Afghan women are seeking proactive role in the government-backed peace process, local media reported on Monday. "No durable peace will be ensured in Afghanistan if half of the population of the country who are women is overlooked in the peace talks," citing women rights activist Dr. Sima Samar, the Daily 8 Subh or 8 Morning writes in its edition. Mrs. Samar who heads the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC), according to the newspaper has also emphasized for fairness and transparency in the ongoing peace talks with the Taliban outfit. The government-backed High Council for Peace, a body entrusted to push for talks with the Taliban fighters, consisted of 70 members, nine of them women. However, women right activists and civil society entities call for incorporating more women in the peace body. "The High Council for Peace should take into account the people of Afghanistan particularly the women and brief them about the achievements," Dr. Samar said, according to the newspaper 8Subh. She made the remarks in the wake of reports about making progress in peace talks with the Taliban militants. Mohammad Masoum Stanikzai, a senior official with the High Council for Peace, according to local media reports has reported progress in dialogue between government and the Taliban militants. Taliban militants who had ruled out any talks with the government have yet to comment on Stanikzai's claim. Dr. Samar who heads the Afghan rights watchdog has also lamented the women absence in peace dialogue, saying women's signatures are not seen in big deals. Taliban militants, whose regime was driven out of power by the U.S.-led military campaign in late 2001, are reluctant to sit around the same table with women to hold talks. The hardliner outfit during its six-year reign which collapsed 11 years ago had dismissed women employees from government departments, confined women in the four-walls of their houses and banned school girls in the country. However, in the post-Taliban Afghanistan women are involved in social, economic and political activities. In today's Afghanistan, women serve as parliamentarians and cabinet members, a progress unthinkable during Taliban rule in the country. Mrs. Sayeda Mujgan Mustafawi, the deputy to Afghanistan Ministry for Women Affairs has also backed the demand and calling for proactive role of women in the peace and national reconciliation process. "The women should have their due role in the peace process," Mujgan Mustafawi said, according to local media reports. "No peace would be acceptable if the right of women is compromised," Mustafawi asserted, according to 8Subh, saying the achievements over the past 11 years is important for women.