Afghanistan: Women's leadership role in the reconstruction of Afghanistan

"After 23 years, we Afghan women from 8 provinces and Kabul city gathered for a historic meeting to discuss our role and contribution in the rebuilding of our homeland. This consultation meeting, was organized by the Ministry of Women’s Affairs and UNIFEM in collaboration with UN Habitat, ILO, UNESCO, UNDP, UNICEF, UNFPA." The Afghan Women's National Consultation Plan of Action provides a guiding framework for the ministries and other relevant national and international organizations.

WLUML welcomes this initiative that enables Afghan women to contribute to the reconstruction process. However, we wish to stress that it is the experience of the network that 'Islamic values' are very diversely interpreted throughout Muslim countries and communities, often by male leaders and to the detriment of women's rights. Similarly, the reference to Afghan culture, presented as homogenous in the Afghan Women's National Consultation Plan of Action, does not reflect the diversity of Afghanistan.