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Don Foster MP backs women's rights in Afghanistan
Don Foster MP has written to the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, William Hague, urging him to back women’s rights.
10 October 2023
Rt Hon William Hague MP
Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
Foreign & Commonwealth Office
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
King Charles Street
London
SW1A 2AH
I have recently been contacted by a number of my constituents regarding women’s rights in Afghanistan.
In the last 10 years since the fall of the Taliban there have been a series of improvements in women’s rights that we should be proud of. From participation in elections through to the number of girls receiving a basic education there have been significant gains in women’s rights. These improvements however are still fragile and could easily be reversed if the planned reconciliation talks do not involve women at every stage. To build a long lasting stable peace in Afghanistan the reconciliation process has to represent the whole of Afghan civil society.
As Mary Akrami, the Director of the Afghan Women Skills Development Centre commented, “Afghan women have the most to gain from peace and the most to lose from any form of reconciliation compromising women’s human rights. There cannot be security without women’s security”.
As such, when you meet other Foreign Ministers in Bonn on the 5th December I urge you to ensure that all planned reconciliation talks include three basic points. Firstly, that the spirit of UN resolution 1325 is maintained throughout. Secondly, that measurable human rights benchmarks are included. Thirdly, that all parties involved are held to account for any human rights violations committed. On this last point it is imperative that reconciliation is not used as a synonym for impunity. These three basic measures are a minimum to ensure that women can effectively engage with the process to lay the foundations for a lasting peace
I have received a large number of letters from my constituents regarding these issues. I would be most grateful for your comments on this matter so I can best respond to my constituents.
Don Foster MP
