Women’s rights activists are calling for a new United Nations roadmap for Afghanistan to result in a political structure that includes non-Taliban figures, particularly women, in leadership and decision-making roles.
The UN has drafted a proposal aimed at gathering the views of Taliban officials and representatives from 25 countries involved in the Doha process, as part of an effort to define a pathway for the country’s reintegration into the international community. A central pillar of the initiative is the formation of an inclusive government — a long-standing demand from the global community, alongside human rights protections and counterterrorism guarantees.
While the UN has not yet disclosed the full content of the responses it received, the Taliban have previously rejected negotiations over any form of power-sharing or broader political inclusion. Their current governing structure remains exclusive to members of their own movement.
Women’s rights defenders argue that any future framework must guarantee women’s participation at all levels of political and civic life.
“The roadmap must address women’s political and social participation and explicitly prohibit violence, including forced marriage and child marriage,” said Golsoom Mehrin, a prominent Afghan women’s rights activist. “If the Taliban object, the UN and international partners must not back down.”
The UN’s “mosaic framework” outlines six key priorities for Afghanistan’s future, with inclusive governance labeled as one of the most complex and time-consuming. Despite claims by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) that it is consulting with non-Taliban stakeholders, the identities of those involved in the talks remain undisclosed.
Meanwhile, the Independent Coalition of Afghan Women’s Protest Movements voiced deep concerns about the process, warning that it risks replicating the failures of the 2020 Doha peace talks.
In a statement, the coalition cited four key objections, including the exclusion of the Afghan people from decisions about their future, UNAMA’s perceived conciliatory stance toward the Taliban, the lack of a central role for women and human rights and the marginalization of the public as a principal party in any political settlement.
“The people must be informed and involved,” said a Kabul resident interviewed by Amu. “These discussions cannot be held behind closed doors.”
The Taliban, for their part, have outlined three core demands in the UN-led consultations: the lifting of international sanctions, the restoration of Afghanistan’s diplomatic representation abroad, and access to frozen Afghan financial assets.
Despite calls for transparency and inclusivity, many civil society groups remain skeptical that the process will lead to meaningful change, particularly in a political environment where dissent is tightly suppressed and women’s participation in public life remains severely restricted.
