Lifesaving Humanitarian Response for Women and Girls in Afghanistan: An Urgent Call for U.S. Action

Publisher: Alliance for Peacebuilding

Authors: Megan Corrado (AfP), Elizabeth Cafferty (VOICE), Teresa Casale (Mina’s List), Devon Cone (Refugees International), Gayatri Patel (Women’s Refugee Commission)

Publication date: December 10 2021

Abstract: The rights of women, girls, and other marginalized groups in Afghanistan have suffered significant rollbacks since the fall of the Afghan government including death threats by the Taliban, barriers to accessing lifesaving services and resources, and human rights abuses. The U.S. must act now through a coordinated lifesaving humanitarian response to address these abuses and prevent further rollbacks of hard-won rights of women and girls in Afghanistan.

The Alliance for Peacebuilding, Futures Without Violence, the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace, and Security, Human Rights Watch, Mina's List, Refugees International, VOICE, and the Women's Refugee Commission came together to draft this brief and urge the following actions:

Recommendations:

1     Immediately appoint a senior official in the State Department to address the urgent needs and rights of Afghan women and girls;

2    Provide immediate humanitarian aid to address the current crisis in Afghanistan and the surrounding region and ensure resources adequately meet women’s and girls’ needs;

3     Prioritize the safe, equal, and unrestricted access of female aid workers in the delivery of humanitarian aid;

4     Provide financial and technical support for conflict prevention, gender equality, human rights, peacebuilding, education, and atrocities prevention programming;

5     Mandate the use of a gender and social inclusion analysis for all humanitarian, peacebuilding, and development action;

6. Leverage bilateral and multilateral diplomacy to maximize opportunities for Afghan women to safely, equally, and meaningfully participate in leadership, peacebuilding, and humanitarian programs; and

7. Center civilian protection in ongoing U.S. engagement in Afghanistan and hold all actors publicly accountable for violations of international humanitarian law and human rights abuses, particularly those perpetrated against women and girls.