ABSTRACT
Afghanistan is a war-torn country that has been in a state of ongoing conflict for over thirty-five years now. These decades of violence and political turmoil have set back social progress, increased the level of poverty within the country and created an environment rife with security threats.
Currently, Afghanistan heavily depends on development aid and security assistance. As the amount of aid available continues to decrease and foreign security forces and NGOs continue to pull out of Afghanistan, the country must focus on its own reconstruction efforts, and the participation of Afghan women is central to achieving this objective.
Despite significant opposition to the advancement of women’s rights throughout history, including a ban on education and work under the Taliban reign, women have still managed to make invaluable contributions to every facet of Afghan society. And these continued contributions will be needed going forward. Women’s knowledge, agency and collective action are necessary if Afghanistan is to achieve sustainable development. However, without a solution to the security crisis and without the effective implementation and enforcement of the rule of law, Afghan women will continue to be sidelined, and Afghanistan’s reconstruction efforts will remain crippled.
