The Taliban keep saying we will give women rights based in Shariah. Women here are very, very worried and I think we are all united in saying we are not going back.”Both Ms. Smeal and Mrs. Bush have continued to speak out about Afghan women over the years, but Ms. Smeal said the absence of women’s rights from the talks’ agenda so far has infused a new sense of urgency. Ms. Safi and Dr. Rubin pointed out that Afghan women have been victims of 40 years of war — killed during Taliban attacks and American and Afghan troops’ night raids or bombings. “The best fight for women’s rights is not to wage wars that cost hundreds of billions of dollars. “Women were pawns in the game in 2001,” Ms. Safi said.

Source: New York Times March 22, 2019 10:01 UTC