Emily
MikeThe women of Afghanistan are correct to worry that any peace deals the Afghan government might make with the Taliban will sacrifice women’s rights. After all, the Taliban was more repressive to women than, probably, any government in the world. And their relatively recent re-control of parts of Afghanistan is reestablishing the tyranny. For example, Taliban sympathizers routinely intimidate or attack women who work outside the home, wear western dress, or try to attend school. They have even been suspected of poisoning school girls.
In an effort to lessen some of that fear, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said today that women’s rights should not be sacrificed in any peace deal. She told three senior female Afghan officials that “we will not abandon you. . . . [I]t is essential that women’s rights and women’s opportunities are not sacrificed or trampled on in the reconciliation process.” Clinton also said that she had promised Karzai that the U.S. would not “abandon Afghanistan in its quest for peace and long-term stability and we will not. And I make the same pledge to the women of Afghanistan. We will not abandon you, we will stand with you always.”
I would like to believe her. But I don’t see that happening. President Karzai is obviously under pressure from many sides to take some kind of action to lessen the fighting with the Taliban. Does the U.S. really think that Karzai will draw the line and absolutely refuse to make any deal that decreases women’s rights? Does the U.S. really think that the Taliban will enter into any deal where they must adhere to women’s rights in the areas in which they gain more control? And, even if the U.S. is adamant that there be no trampling of women’s rights in any deal with the Taliban, does the U.S. think that Karsai will listen to them? After all, with the pressure that Karzai is under and with his past statements calling for the U.S. to respect Afghanistan’s sovereignty, why would he listen to the U.S.?
And, so, although Clinton’s words are very welcome, it seems unrealistic to think that they will come true. It seems far more realistic to think that the Afghan women in any geographical areas affected by any peace deals will indeed be abandoned. I hope I’m wrong.
Filed under: Education, International, Politics, Religion, Violence Tagged: | Hillary Clinton, Karsai. Afghanistan, Taliban
