Afghanistan’s Transition in the Making - Perceptions and Policy Strategies of Women Parliamentarians

Publication series democracy, Volume 31

Afghanistan’s Transition in the Making - Perceptions and Policy Strategies of Women Parliamentarians

At the beginning of the military intervention in Afghanistan, gender-related rhetoric was employed as a source of legitimation for the intervention. Initially regarded as the barometer of success for democratization, today human and women’s rights are in danger of being dropped of the national and international transition agenda. The present study by Andrea Fleschenberg shows that in national and international debates about the transition process in Afghanistan women’s voices are seldom present, or taken into consideration. This is despite women being particularly and most likely significantly affected by the transition process – be it in terms of a possible power sharing deal or a reconciliation agreement between the government and the insurgents or be it in terms of safeguarding the gender specific achievements of the past decade in the fields of education and health. Framed by interviews with women rights activists and women parliamentarians recommendations are lined out for future international policy commitments and responsibilities in Afghanistan.