In reaction to the Jirga of the Taliban that will take place in the Loya Jirga tent, Human Rights Watch said that a decision-making body, such as a Jirga that excludes women and other groups is not legitimate.
While human rights advocates claim they do not anticipate and expect significant improvements from the Taliban Jirga in Kabul, Heather Barr, co-director of the Women’s Rights Division at Human Rights Watch, said no one in the Taliban’s Jirga could speak up and that the assembly may not reflect ethnic diversity.
Heather Barr tweeted yesterday, 26th June, that “People will hope desperately for this Jirga to yield some tiny progress toward ending Taliban violations of the rights of women and girls; but that doesn’t mean that a decision-making body that excludes women can ever be legitimate.”
“The Taliban appears to be trying to legitimize their actions against Afghans and the international community by holding this jirga,” she said.
Political analysts also support the stance maintained by the Human Rights Watch by expressing that Afghanistan will not be able to resolve its overlapping issues with “performative” Jirgas.
A Jirga with members who represent Afghanistan’s political diversity, including women, and an open and transparent agenda is required in order to make a meaningful effort to resolve the political crisis, they suggested.
It is still unclear whether representatives of the protesting girls, human rights advocates, and women will be invited to the Jirga, despite the Taliban’s previous claims that representatives of all segments of society will be invited.
