Koofi, Andisha Condemn Exclusion of Women’s Rights from Doha Agreement

DID Press: Afghan politician Fawzia Koofi and diplomat Nasir Ahmad Andisha have responded to remarks by Taliban official Shahabuddin Delawar, who said women were not mentioned in the 2020 Doha Agreement between the Taliban and the United States.

Delawar, head of the Afghan Red Crescent Society under Taliban control and a former senior Taliban negotiator, said in a recent interview that the word “woman” does not appear in the agreement. He also defended the continued ban on girls’ education beyond the sixth grade, saying the restriction would remain in force until further notice.

The remarks have renewed debate over the treatment of women’s rights during negotiations that shaped Afghanistan’s political future. Koofi, a former Afghan parliamentarian who participated in intra-Afghan peace talks, has previously criticized the lack of meaningful attention to women’s rights in negotiations with the Taliban. Andisha, Afghanistan’s ambassador and permanent representative to the United Nations before the Taliban takeover, has also repeatedly raised concerns about the deterioration of human rights in Afghanistan.

The controversy comes as Taliban restrictions on girls’ education and women’s participation in public life remain a major human rights concern in Afghanistan.