Concerns mount that US withdrawal from Afghanistan could risk progress on women’s rights

CNN — Concerns are mounting from bipartisan US lawmakers and Afghan women’s rights activists that the hard-won gains for women and civil society in Afghanistan could be lost if the United States makes a precipitous withdrawal from the country. Progress ‘could evaporate’ Gailani told those at the virtual discussion that an American troop withdrawal from the country must be “extremely careful.” Koofi’s assessment: “If the US leaves now, it will not result in peace.” Republican Rep. Michael Waltz of Florida, who serves as co-chair of the Women, Peace, and Security Caucus, said when he served in Afghanistan as a Special Forces officer he saw “girls schools machine gunned with the girls in them.” “I’ve seen acid thrown on their faces,” he said. Democratic Rep. Lois Frankel of Florida, who is the other co-chair of the Women, Peace and Security caucus, also expressed concerns that the “gains made by women over the past years could evaporate.” “We don’t want to go backwards,” she said, adding that concerned members of Congress would “work closely with our administration to do everything that’s reasonably possible to make sure that the progress made for human rights in Afghanistan continue.” Biden administration officials have repeatedly stressed that any agreement between the Afghan government and the Taliban must protect human rights, particularly the rights of women and minorities. US-backed intra-Afghan negotiations formally kicked off in Doha last September but have moved slowly, and targeted killings and attacks on civilians and Afghan security forces by the Taliban have continued – the State Department said this week “levels of violence are unacceptably high.” ‘They are the first people to suffer’ Shaharzad Akbar, the chair of the Afghanistan Independent Commission on Human Rights, also noted that negotiations – including a meeting in Moscow last month – have not included a fair gender balance. “If it’s conditions-based, then I think that they have increased their leverage on the parties, and they are better able to protect the rights of women, minorities and young people.” Pforzheimer said those conditions need to include a ceasefire and “should also include the beginnings of a social agreement on that outline of a political road map.” She noted that “if, for example, a peace deal that is seen as unfair takes hold it won’t really be a peace deal at all, it will simply be the prelude to widespread fighting.” Akbar warned that “a rushed process could tip the country back into full scale war,” adding that “any settlement that excludes the wider public will almost certainly be short-lived and is unlikely to lead to lasting peace.” Concerns are widespread that a hasty US withdrawal without a durable peace agreement in place could plunge Afghanistan into civil war.