WASHINGTON: A number of Afghan diaspora women in the United States have called on the international community to take effective and practical steps to support women’s rights in Afghanistan. During a meeting focused on supporting Afghan women, held by the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace, and Security in Washington, attendees emphasized the need to go beyond symbolic gestures and implement tangible measures. The event featured notable participants including Roya Sadat, a filmmaker; Mitra Mehran, a human rights activist, Habiba Sarabi, former governor of Bamyan, and Mirwais Balkhi, former Minister of Education. The participants reviewed the situation of women in Afghanistan and called for strengthening global support for Afghan women’s voices. Simultaneously, the documentary “The Sharp Edge of Peace,” directed by Roya Sadat, was screened at the event. This documentary focuses on the efforts of four women from the former government’s negotiating team during the peace talks with the Taliban in the final two years before the collapse of the Republic. This comes at a time when women in Afghanistan are facing increasing restrictions imposed by the Taliban, with their basic rights becoming further limited over time. Recently, the Taliban has drafted a penal code that further restricts rights such as freedom of movement and the right to choose for women, while also legitimizing certain forms of physical violence against them.
