Afghanistan - Protect Women's Rights & Demand Ceasefire!

Afghanistan - Protect Women's Rights & Demand Ceasefire!

Started
December 16, 2020
Signatures: 5,696Next Goal: 7,500
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Why this petition matters

Started by WLUML

The war in Afghanistan is the world’s deadliest and longest conflict since WWII - more than 100,000 people have been killed and many more have been injured and disabled. According to the UN, last year alone, the war caused 10,000 civilian casualties. In late 2020, under pressure from the U.S., the Taliban began peace talks with the elected government. The Taliban, who harbor extremist Islamist ideology and have systematically undermined women’s human rights over the past 25 years, have refused to accept a ceasefire. Indeed, since the beginning of negotiations, they have increased their violence against both the military and civilians, including targeting educational institutions, killing scores of students. 

Women of Afghanistan have the most to lose. As there is no evidence that the Taliban have reassessed their extreme approach to the rights of women, girls and minorities, the Taliban’s return to power endangers them. The token presence of women and the exclusion of the UN from peace talks with the Taliban is part of a disturbing trend that puts their rights at risk without a seat at the table. The active presence of civil society, including women’s human rights defenders in this peace process is crucial to prevent grave harm to women’s and girls’ human rights.

We call on the government of Afghanistan and allied countries to ensure

  • An immediate and complete ceasefire prior to continuing peace talks.
  • Meaningful and substantial participation of Afghan women representing diverse women’s interests in the peace talks.
  • Enforcement of women’s and citizens’ rights currently enshrined in the Constitution, national legislation and obligations under international law.
  • Protection of the full range of women’s human rights in the outcomes of this peace process.
  • The involvement of the UN, including gender experts, in peace talks to ensure that they conform with international law.
  • Equal protection of all citizens before the law, regardless of gender, ethnicity or religion.
  • The autonomy of civil society, including women’s rights and feminist groups, is made part of the peace agreement.
  • The autonomy of the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission.
  • The establishment of a Truth and Reconciliation Forum to reverse the culture of violence and intolerance.
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Signatures: 5,696Next Goal: 7,500
Support now
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