KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The Women’s Advocacy for Equality Network (WAEN), a network of Hazara women, expressed concern over the exclusion of representatives from Afghan civil society, women, and marginalized communities from the upcoming UN-hosted Doha meeting.
In a letter addressed to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, members of the network—including Hazara women politicians, activists, lawyers, former parliament members, and journalists—emphasizes that the exclusion of Afghan women from the meeting violates UN’s Resolution 1325 on the Women, Peace, and Security.
The letter, a copy of which was obtained by KabulNow urges the U.N. and the international community to cease normalizing diplomatic engagement with the Taliban until the regime demonstrates measurable progress on human rights, particularly for women and girls. They further advocate for prioritizing human rights and women’s rights in all discussions concerning Afghanistan and ensuring victims of Taliban brutality have a seat at the table.
The two-day UN-hosted meeting between the Taliban and international envoys from over 25 countries has drawn criticism for excluding Afghan civil society and women. This will be the third session of the U.N.-led Doha process, with the Taliban attending for the first time.
The U.N. has confirmed that Afghan women and civil society representatives will not be included in the main talks with the Taliban. Separate talks with these groups, led by U.N. officials and representatives from participating countries, are planned for afterward.
WAEN members argue that past diplomatic engagements with the Taliban haven’t yielded compromise. They believe the Taliban use these platforms to demonstrate power and demand recognition.
“We have repeatedly witnessed the UN’s continuous efforts to persuade the Taliban to uphold human rights values, but the Taliban have only responded with further human rights violations,” the letter states.
The letter specifically highlights the plight of Hazara women, who face “intersecting violence and discrimination” due to their gender and ethnicity under the Taliban’s “gender apartheid” system.
“The vulnerable people of Afghanistan, especially women and the marginalized Hazara community, who face the threat of genocide and targeted persecution, must be assured that the UN upholds the values of global peace, human rights, and the right to political self-determination,” WAEN said.
Their demands include the establishment of a U.N. mechanism to investigate attacks on Hazara people. They also urge the international community and the U.N. to recognize gender apartheid as a crime against humanity and take concrete steps to address it.
