A coalition of Afghan women and youth, civil society groups, activists, and supporters.

AFGHAN PEACE DEAL THREATENS 17 YEARS OF WOMEN’S FIGHT FOR FREEDOM

13 February 2019 - Leading figures from around the world join appeal led by hundreds of Afghan women and civil society groups, calling for inclusion in the current peace deal being negotiated between the United States and the Taliban. 

Over the last 17 years of the U.S. involvement in the war in Afghanistan, Afghan women have fought for their rights, and for their freedom amidst the harshest of conditions, carving out a space for future generations of women and young people. 

In a statement appealing to the international community for global solidarity, hundreds of Afghan women from local women’s groups and civil society across Afghanistan, as well as the Afghan diaspora, call for international support in their fight for inclusion in the peace process. 

The appeal reads:

When the coalition arrived in Afghanistan in 2001, it was on the back of promises made to Afghan women and future generations. We have been fighting for our rights and representation ever since. We welcome all steps to bring peace to our country, but history has taught us the bloody lesson that you cannot have peace without inclusion. It is time for real peace.

It is at this critical moment for the future of our young people, our women and our democracy that we ask for global solidarity, so we can continue to build on our victories.

And their call has already won the support of prominent figures and rights advocates, including Margaret Atwood, Gloria Steinem, Roger Waters, Arundhati Roy, Ken Loach and Khaled Hosseini. 

The appeal is led by Time4RealPeace, a coalition of Afghan women, men, young people, civil society groups, individual activists, both in Afghanistan and the diaspora and supporters, who have come together to raise their concerns about the current peace deal and to advocate for the inclusion of the voices and interest of Afghan women, Afghan youth and Afghanistan’s democratic structures, government and institutions in shaping the peace process.  The appeal is a part of a wider campaign calling for: 

• Inclusion of the voices and interests of women in the peace negotiations;

• Inclusion of the voices and interested of young people in the peace negotiations;

• Inclusion of the voices of civil society and the democratic structures, government and institutions. 

For more information/press/interviews contact:

Sahar Halaimzai, Campaign Lead at time4realpeace@gmail.com +44 (0) 7514 139606 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Time4RealPeace/ Twitter: @Time4RealPeace 

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