(AHMAD SAHEL ARMAN | Credit: AFP via Getty Images)
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The horrors and crimes of the failed U.S. War on Terror continue to plague a new generation of Afghan women. August 30th marks the three year anniversary of the last U.S. troops leaving Afghanistan, officially ending the longest war in our history.
Since then, the Taliban have regained control and are on a march to undo all the reforms and progress made by Afghan women over the past two decades. They are eliminating women from the public sphere, taking away their rights, depriving them of an education, and literally silencing their voices. Liberating Afghan women was one of the many cynical justifications for our failed war in the region which ultimately brought needless death and resentment instead of democracy and freedom.
In 2024, what responsibilities do the U.S. and international community have to the Afghan people, especially women, and what, if anything, can we do to pressure the Taliban government to accept humanitarian reforms?
I had the pleasure of talking to Nadia Hashmi, an Afghan American author, physician, and human rights advocate who is a member of the US-Afghan Women’s Counsel and sits on the advisory board of the Afghan American Foundation. Despite the tragic headlines, she offers potential solutions and practical ways we can help Afghan women and youth.
Grab a chai and give us a listen!
Afghan Women Won't Go Back: How the U.S. Must Pressure the Taliban