Afghan Women's Declaration related to One Billion Rising on Violence against Women «Afghan women's will not go back»

»Afghan Women's Declaration related to One Billion Rising on Violence against Women «Afghan women's will not go back

Serial No: 77

Kabul - Afghanistan

“The One Million Campaign on Violence against Women" is a global civilian movement in which women and men stand against all forms of discrimination and violence against women, and defend all their rights. The Afghan Women’s Network has been joining the global campaign since 2013, and has been campaigning for violence against women annually by launching marches and gatherings, in partnership with its member institutions and other civil society organizations throughout Afghanistan.

Afghan women want a lasting and just peace, and lasting peace requires a widespread participation of women!
Afghanistan has seen signs of accelerating the peace process after four decades of armed conflict. The international community, regional countries, the government and people are working to bring peace to Afghanistan, and all want peace and end of the conflict. Afghan women, despite having more than half of the population of the country, have made significant advances over the past 17 years. In spite of its high technical and professional capacities in various political, social, economic and cultural areas, there are still widespread human rights violations and discrimination.
The marginalization of Afghan women in the Afghan peace process is a form of discrimination and denial of women's human rights. 
Today, Afghan women, despite the establishment of national and democratic sovereignty, a constitution with equal rights and obligations for women and men, national and international commitments to ensure equal participation of women in national leadership and decision-making, the international community's support for human rights and women's rights in Afghanistan, they still have been disregarded in national decisions, especially those relating to negotiation and decision-making in the peace process. And we express our opposition here not only with the limited presence but also the symbolic presence of women in these processes. 
Recently, kick-starting peace talks in Doha between the Special Representative of the United States of America and Taliban representatives, the Moscow peace talks between the Taliban and the country's political figures were conducted without the presence of women, which is definitely a public discrimination against the semi-population of the country (women). 
While women welcome all efforts to bring sustainable and lasting peace in Afghanistan, however, they emphasize that peace can only be sustained if people have an active share. Hence, we want to achieve a people-centered peace through the participation of women, victims, and supporters of the war in Afghanistan at the local and national levels. 
Now, women who are educated and have a political insight of Afghanistan, both inside or outside of the country, with coherence, commitment and unity of action, with a single voice warn the government, international community, stakeholders and both participating sides that:
Afghan women will no longer allow to be the victims of political interests of parties and groups involved, and nor will they allow their rights and fundamental freedoms to be traded. Moreover, Afghan women have the ability to represent themselves in national and international communities and will no longer tolerate oppression and discrimination against themselves. 
Afghan women no longer tolerate restrictions on their rights and goals by any group as well. 
Afghan women call for the serious attention of the national unity government and its international partners to protect the advancements of women in various areas and to strengthen women's rights throughout Afghanistan. 
Afghan women, as the responsible citizens of this country, have emphasized the following in order to achieve lasting and just peace, and insist on its serious consideration:
- We emphasize on the protection of the system and the constitution of the country as priorities of peace agreements.
- We are grateful and support the security forces of Afghanistan (Afghan National Army, National Security Forces and National Police), who have been the identity, trust and power of people, they in the past one and a half decades, with the sacrifice of their sweet lives, have defended the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and national security with determination. And we emphasize on the maintaining and strengthening of our security institutions.
- We the Afghan women, with the experiences and lessons learned from the past peace agreements, are demanding a credible national and international guarantee for the implementation of the peace agreements by the parties involved.
- We demand a clear status of people, especially women and victims of war, in the peace process.
- Women are the main victims of the war in Afghanistan and they are not allowed to be sacrificed in the name of peace. Facilitators, negotiators and stakeholders are required to maintain the principle of equal participation of women in peace negotiations and petitions in the entire peace process, from preliminary negotiations to final agreements and pacts.
The Afghan Women’s Network is proud of the unity and solidarity of Afghan women and calls for its continuity, especially at this crucial stage. The Afghan Women’s Network believes that Afghan women with their unity, sharing of experiences and ideas play a key role in important matters, and that their united voices will bring change.