Sec. 2. Findings

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Congress finds the following: The Women, Peace, and Security Act of 2017 was signed into law on October 6, 2017, requiring the United States Government to promote the meaningful participation of women in all aspects of overseas conflict prevention, management, and resolution, and postconflict relief and recovery efforts. The meaningful participation of women in peace negotiations has been shown to make resulting peace agreements 35 percent more likely to last, according to the International Peace Institute, and their sustained engagement and leadership in conflict prevention and conflict resolution processes helps to promote more inclusive and democratic societies and is critical to the long-term stability of countries and regions.

The United States National Security Strategy states, governments that fail to treat women equally do not allow their societies to reach their potential and societies that empower women to participate fully in civic and economic life are more prosperous and peaceful . Today, millions of Afghan women have voted in elections and women have a significant presence in the National Assembly, ministries, local government, and the diplomatic corps including as Afghanistan’s Ambassador to the United States.

According to the United States Institute of Peace, more than 68,000 Afghan women are employed in schools and universities, and at least 10,000 women are doctors and health care professionals. Afghan women entrepreneurs have invested an estimated $77 million in their businesses, creating 77,000 jobs for Afghans. In 2015, Afghanistan approved a National Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security to increase women’s participation in peace processes and the security sector as well as address issues around protection and relief and recovery services.

In 2018, Afghanistan reaffirmed its Law to Eliminate Violence Against Women. Afghan women have advocated relentlessly for peace, equality, and basic rights under the Taliban, including by educating the next generation of Afghans in underground schools and successfully negotiating with the Taliban to reopen girls’ schools, release hostages, and prevent violence. Afghan women participated in the 2001 Bonn International Conference on Afghanistan, participated alongside then-President Karzai at the 2010 National Consultative Peace Jirga on reconciliation between the Afghan government and insurgent leaders, served on the country’s Provincial Peace Councils, and today serve on Afghanistan’s High Peace Council.

Through various coalitions, women have mobilized to demand an immediate ceasefire and their rightful seat at the table including through rallies and consultations with communities across all of Afghanistan’s provinces, including a Peace Consultative Loya Jirga which brought together politicians, tribal elders, and other prominent leaders to decide on a common approach for peace talks with the Taliban. Over the first seven rounds of bilateral talks between the United States and the Taliban, neither the Afghan Government nor Afghan women or civil society groups were permitted to participate in the negotiations.