Menu

United States Institute of Peace

Home ▶ Events

A Conversation with First Lady of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Rula Ghani

How to Protect Afghan Women’s Rights and Build Consensus for Peace

Date: Thursday, November 14, 2019 / Time: 10:00am - 11:30am 

Center: Asia Center

Share This
Print the Page

The past two months have brought great uncertainty for the prospects of sustainable peace and stability in Afghanistan. With the collapse of U.S.-Taliban talks and the results of the September 28 presidential elections not yet finalized, key questions remain on how to build national consensus and unity throughout the country. This is particularly vital for Afghan women, who long for an end to over four decades of near continuous war, instability, and violence—but also want to ensure that the social and political gains they’ve achieved since the 2004 constitution are protected and advanced. 

To explore the importance of Afghan women in building a sustainable peace process, H.E. First Lady Rula Ghani joined USIP for a timely discussion on her role in the Afghan Women’s National Consensus for Peace (Ejma-e-Mili), as well as other current events on peace, security, and governance in Afghanistan. Following a keynote address by the First Lady, there was a moderated question and answer session.

This event is being co-hosted with the Embassy of Afghanistan, and you can follow the conversation on Twitter with #AfghanPeace.

Speakers

H.E Rula Ghani
First Lady of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan 

The Honorable Nancy Lindborg, moderator
President & CEO, U.S Institute of Peace 

Related Publications

The Latest @ USIP: Reclaiming Human Rights in Afghanistan

The Latest @ USIP: Reclaiming Human Rights in Afghanistan

Wednesday, April 17, 2024

By: Fatima Gailani

Since taking power in 2021, the Taliban have imposed their own interpretation of Islamic law onto the people of Afghanistan and consistently rolled back human rights protections — especially for women and girls — all while the country struggles to recover from decades of conflict and economic crisis. USIP spoke with Fatima Gailani, the former president of the Afghan Red Crescent Society, about the various ways Afghans can put pressure on the Taliban to reclaim their rights and demand a better future.

Type: Blog

Gender;  Human Rights

Asfandyar Mir on Why ISIS-K Attacked Moscow

Asfandyar Mir on Why ISIS-K Attacked Moscow

Monday, April 1, 2024

By: Asfandyar Mir, Ph.D.

ISIS-K’s recent attack on the Russian capital was, in part, intended to assert the organization’s growing capacity to inflict terror beyond its home base of Afghanistan. “By reaching Moscow, ISIS-K is trying to signal it has the geographic reach to hit anywhere in the world,” says USIP’s Asfandyar Mir.

Type: Podcast

Moscow Concert Hall Attack Will Have Far-Reaching Impact

Moscow Concert Hall Attack Will Have Far-Reaching Impact

Wednesday, March 27, 2024

By: Mary Glantz, Ph.D. ;   Gavin Helf, Ph.D. ;   Asfandyar Mir, Ph.D. ;   Andrew Watkins

On Friday, terrorists attacked the Crocus City Hall outside Moscow leaving 140 people dead and 80 others critically wounded. Soon after, the Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack. The terrorist group, which is headquartered in Iraq and Syria, has several branches, including in South and Central Asia. Press reports suggest the U.S. government believes the Afghanistan-based affiliate of the Islamic State, ISIS-Khorasan (ISIS-K), was behind the attack. The Biden administration has publicly noted that it had warned the Russian government of the terrorism threat in early March in line with the procedure of “Duty to Warn.”

Type: Question and Answer

Global Policy

The Challenges Facing Afghans with Disabilities

The Challenges Facing Afghans with Disabilities

Thursday, February 29, 2024

By: Belquis Ahmadi

In Afghanistan, obtaining accurate data on the number of persons with disabilities — including gender-disaggregated information — has always been a challenging endeavor. But based on the data we do have, it’s clear that more than four decades of violent conflict have left a considerable portion of the Afghan population grappling with various forms of disabilities, both war-related and otherwise. And the pervasive lack of protective mechanisms, social awareness and empathy surrounding disability continue to pose formidable challenges for individuals with disabilities, with women being disproportionately affected.

Type: Analysis

Gender;  Human Rights

View All Publications