Unquestionably, the situation of Afghan women has been one of the most prominent areas of rhetorical focus of the international development community in the post- Taliban era. After years of conflict and forcible exclusion from the public sphere, women have been gradually emerging as a social, political and economic force. Representatives of government, donors and the international aid community have been quick to note the progress made around women’s rights since late 2001.
Some of the most widely recognised achievements have been in the legal and policy arenas. The Afghan government has removed severe discriminatory laws against women; ratified a constitution that promotes non-discrimination; and facilitated women’s unprecedented participation in national elections through civic education, voting and candidacy. Dr Masooda Jalal, Minister of Women’s Affairs, recently attended the ten-year anniversary review of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (BPfA) and is currently drafting a National Action Plan for Afghan women that addresses the twelve critical areas of concern of the BPfA.
