The advocacy group Afghanistan Women and Children has urged U.N. deputy chief Rosemary DiCarlo to prevent the “participation of women lobbying” for the Taliban in the upcoming Doha meeting.
In an open letter, the group emphasized the importance of ensuring that true representatives of Afghan women are included in the talks, which will involve envoys from over 20 countries and a Taliban delegation.
“Considering the current situation and the challenges faced by the people of Afghanistan, especially women, your role in these discussions is very important, and the U.N. must ensure that real representatives of Afghan women participate in it,” the letter stated.
The group also stressed the need to avoid any “whitewashing” of the Taliban during the meeting. The letter highlighted that the international community has seen the consequences of underestimating the Taliban’s “ideological rigidity” and its adverse effects on human rights, particularly women’s rights.
Additionally, the group called for transparency in the content of the discussions and suggested that sharing this information with the Afghan people would enhance trust in the Doha meeting process.
