Afghan Women\u2019s Network (AWN) is an umbrella organization of 120 women led civil society
\nNGOs and over 3000 individual women members<\/p>\n
August 2014<\/p>\n
Introduction:<\/strong> After the 2012 Chicago NATO Summit, the 2014 NATO Summit will be hosted by\u00a0the United Kingdom on September 2014. One of the focuses of NATO Summit\u00a0will be Afghanistan beyond 2014 after withdrawal of international troops is\u00a0completed.<\/p>\n Afghan Women\u2019s Network (AWN) is an umbrella organization of 120 women led\u00a0civil society NGOs and over 3000 individual women members. AWN have played\u00a0a critical role in discussing women\u2019s rights agenda at the policy level with the\u00a0Afghan government and international community since registered as network in\u00a02001. Prior to the NATO Summit UK, AWN conducted a desk review to identify\u00a0key challenges and recommendations that have been presented to the Afghan\u00a0government and international community regarding Afghan women security and\u00a0protection as 50% citizens of the country as well as women\u2019s participation and\u00a0decision making role within the Afghan National Security Forces (Army, Police \u00a0and National Department of Security). AWN also consulted over Five hundred\u00a0women through one day consultation conferences in Eight Zones on 17 August\u00a02014 and a National conference in Kabul on 27 August 2014 to discuss women\u2019s\u00a0concerns and recommendations and concrete measures to ensure women\u2019s\u00a0political participation, increasing their decision making role, safe mobility, needed\u00a0protection and security measures beyond the year 2014.\u00a0Afghan Women\u2019s Network (AWN) is an umbrella organization of 120 women led civil society\u00a0NGOs and over 3000 individual women members<\/p>\n Ongoing Challenges:<\/strong><\/span><\/em> AWN has produced extensive position papers, declarations and statements to\u00a0bring the first hand information on the challenges women face across the\u00a0country. AWN and it is members have noted number of key challenges that are\u00a0been repeatedly reflected but have unfortunately received fairly low attention by\u00a0the Afghan government and international community. Some of the challenges\u00a0that still remained unaddressed are as follows:<\/p>\n 1. Vetting of recruits for Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) including\u00a0Afghan Local Police (ALP) does not include community based component where\u00a0women\u2019s groups and women from relevant communities can report on the\u00a0background of the newly enrolled security forces. Up to date, at the national\u00a0level, the recruits to ANSF including ALP have recruited number of human rights\u00a0violators accused for crimes such as rape, murder, torture and misuse of power.<\/p>\n 2. Actions in the past 13 years have focused to increase number of women into\u00a0Afghan National Police (ANP) and Afghan National Army (ANA) however there is\u00a0little information available on the actual efforts such as campaigns, coordination\u00a0with relevant government and non-government organizations to support the\u00a0process. After recruitment and appointment, women\u2019s contribution within these\u00a0sectors, measures for creating a secure and harassment free environment are\u00a0not transparent, clear and sustainable.<\/p>\n 3. Despite of the calls on Afghan National Security forces especially ANP and\u00a0ANA for inclusion of human rights and women\u2019s rights education within the Police\u00a0and Army training curriculums, the newly recruits\u2019 lack clear understanding of\u00a0human rights and women\u2019s rights due to very short and basic trainings provided\u00a0to them. Thus in most part of the country they have remained less responsive to\u00a0women victims of violence and incidents of discriminations against women.<\/p>\n 4. Even though Afghan National Development Strategy (ANDS) has made\u00a0gender as a cross cutting issue and the 10 years National Action Plan for Women\u00a0of Afghanistan (NAPWA) has created policy implementation and monitoring at all\u00a0sectors including ANSF, these national tools are not fully adopted and\u00a0implemented by concerned government ministries of Interior and Defense.\u00a0Afghan Women\u2019s Network (AWN) is an umbrella organization of 120 women led civil society\u00a0NGOs and over 3000 individual women members<\/p>\n 5. While Afghan government has committed to international human rights laws\u00a0and resolutions, the development process of national action plan on women,\u00a0peace and security (NAP) {United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325} has\u00a0been extremely slow. The lengthy process and lack of NAP is a huge gap to\u00a0address important challenges of women such as their participation, protection,\u00a0security and engagement in a systematic and accountable manner.<\/p>\n 6. Since the start of security transition, women in most part of the country are\u00a0facing security restrictions. Women within Judiciary, Parliament, ANSF and Civil\u00a0Society are being threatened and eventually attacked. In most cases, women have lost their lives due to lack of protection mechanism.<\/p>\n 7.While efforts such as allocation of huge amount of aid is being announced to\u00a0support women in security sector by international community, there are lack of\u00a0clear implementation plans, consultation with women\u2019s groups and organizations\u00a0such as AWN and monitoring on aid to ensure the effectiveness, impact and\u00a0sustainability.<\/p>\n 8. Despite of commitments made in international platforms such as Chicago\u00a0NATO Summit (2012) to support ANSF through trainings and technical support\u00a0beyond 2014, there is very little information available on how women in ANSF will\u00a0be supported and integrated to real policing and army jobs.<\/p>\n Recommendations to Sustain Women\u2019s Gains:<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n In spite of the mentioned uncertainty AWN would like to once again recall on\u00a0Afghan government and international community (NATO Members) to consider\u00a0the followings:<\/p>\n 1. Vetting of recruits for Afghan National Security Forces, including Afghan Local\u00a0Police (ALP) should include a community-based component in which women\u2019s\u00a0groups and women from relevant communities can report on the background of\u00a0the newly enrolled security forces to avoid recruitment of human rights violators\u00a0within these structures.<\/p>\n 2. Afghan Ministry of Interior and Ministry of Defense should be supported and\u00a0encouraged to establish close collaboration and coordination to ensure smooth\u00a0recruitment process for women through collaboration with relevant actors within\u00a0the government (Ministry of Women\u2019s Affairs, Ministry of Higher Education,\u00a0Ministry of Education and Ministry of Religious Affairs) and Civil Society (Afghan\u00a0Women\u2019s Network for information sharing, transparency and accountability\u00a0purposes. Introducing a special ministerial decree\/ policy to confirm women\u2019s\u00a0appointment in the senior posts would be an encouragement to advance\u00a0women\u2019s recruitment in the security sector.\u00a0Afghan Women\u2019s Network (AWN) is an umbrella organization of 120 women led civil society\u00a0NGOs and over 3000 individual women members<\/p>\n 3. Support for the capacity development of the Afghan National Security Forces\u00a0must pay special attention to how the ANSF can be more responsive to citizen\u2019s\u00a0needs, particularly those of women and children. These include greater focus on\u00a0designing and delivering trainings such as civil policing, community policing,\u00a0human rights, UNSCR 1325 and women rights.<\/p>\n 4. Family Response Units (FRUs) are also critical means for addressing women\u2019s\u00a0needs facing domestic and social violence; they should be fully resourced. A\u00a0deputy minister level position and appointment of senior women should be\u00a0prioritized within the organizational structure (tashkeel) of MoI to strengthen\u00a0FRUs function to support women victims of violence.<\/p>\n 5. Support establishment of an Independent Civil Society Oversight Commission\u00a0to thoroughly monitor the implementation of existing gender strategies such as\u00a0those included in ANDS, NAPWA and the upcoming National Action Plan on\u00a0Women, Peace and Security to increase accountability and transparency.<\/p>\n 6. The NAP on Women, Peace and Security requires serious attention to be\u00a0finalized and launched. The NAP implementation is directly related to the active\u00a0participation, engagement of women, and success of peace and security process\u00a0in Afghanistan. The implementation of Afghanistan NAP must be a priority for the\u00a0Afghan government beyond 2014.<\/p>\n 7. Women working in any sphere, judiciary, parliament, security sector,\u00a0government and civil society must be protected through a protection mechanism\u00a0to avoid their disappearance and contribution. We call on International\u00a0Community to support establishment of a protection mechanism for Women\u00a0Human Rights Defenders using the EU Guidelines and the commitments they\u00a0have made under their National Action Plans on Women, Peace and Security.<\/p>\n 8. Funds committed by the International Community for security sector reform\u00a0including women\u2019s recruitment must be still conditioned on the consultations with\u00a0women\u2019s groups for planning and implementation phases as well as the inclusion\u00a0of women in senior ranking posts within ANSF.<\/p>\n 9. Afghan government in the NATO Summit should commit appointment of a\u00a0woman security advisor and a civil society woman representative within the\u00a0National Security Council to increase collaboration and get engaged in decision\u00a0making processes, designing of governments programs and policies related to\u00a0security sector and share women\u2019s needs.<\/p>\n 10. We call on NATO\u2019s support for appointment of gender advisors. We\u00a0encourage appointment of an Afghan woman to this appointment as well.<\/p>\n 11. Decisions and commitments that will be reaffirmed in NATO Summit 2014 in\u00a0the UK must ensure clear plans and initiatives on how women will be supported.<\/p>\n
\nYear 2014 is historic for Afghanistan and it is people. The Afghan citizens\u00a0through practice of democracy will once again have a new elected government.\u00a0This in decades will be transfer of political power from one president to the other\u00a0in a peaceful and democratic way. At the same time, withdrawal of North Atlantic\u00a0Treaty Organization (NATO) troops will be completed by end of the year. It is\u00a0crucial time not only for Afghans but to the world and the region to ensure\u00a0sustainable peace, democracy and justice beyond 2014 where people can enjoy\u00a0practice of democracy, employment, security and inclusive participation.<\/p>\n
\nWomen as a whole are unsure about the future of Afghanistan. Security and\u00a0political Transition did not fully involve women as well as there needs seem to be\u00a0in isolation. Women are frustrated by the lack of clarity on how the commitments\u00a0to support Afghanistan beyond 2014 will be shaped post withdrawal of\u00a0international forces. Women are not engaged at the leadership level fully and do\u00a0not have full access to information and decisions that are made in Afghanistan at\u00a0the national and local level.<\/p>\n