The sad truth is women's rights are far down the agenda for the U.S. They're not even mentioned in the Doha accord, despite pressure from international rights groups and the media.
On February 29 in Doha, Qatar, the U.S. signed a peace agreement with the Taliban. Each side gets what it wants most. The US gets to bring home the 12,000 US troops stationed in Afghanistan, as well as a promise from the Taliban to never again allow Afghanistan to serve as a base for terrorist attacks on America. The Taliban gets an end to the American occupation, which means they will be free to do as they wish unless the weak and unpopular Afghan government can stop them.
Afghanistan has now been occupied for thirty of the last forty years by either the Soviets or the Americans. Especially in the cities, two generations have grown up with women's rights. There are women doctors, teachers, judges, and entrepreneurs. So maybe this time the changes will stick. Belquis Ahmadi of the US Institute of Peace says,"What gives me hope is there's a change in the mindset of traditional Afghans. In Khost, a group of elders have decided to make education compulsory. They see what's happening in other countries. In Sar-e-pul, a group of men have contributed land for a girl's school. Organic change has a higher chance of sticking than change imposed from outside." The U.S. does have some leverage.
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