Before the Taliban’s return to power following the withdrawal of US troops in 2021, Inclusive Peace provided advice on inclusive process design for the intra-Afghan peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban. We have also periodically worked with women peacebuilders to enhance their influence in the different iterations of the peace process, which is of particular importance in the Afghan context given their explicit marginalisation.

Since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, the peace process in Afghanistan has been significantly stalled. The Taliban’s takeover has resulted in increased tension and hostility with its neighbours and the international community more broadly. This tension and hostility have been further fuelled by the introduction of so-called morality laws, resulting in a marked regression of the rights of women and girls. The recent UN-sponsored talks held in Doha in July 2024 were the first of their kind that included representatives from the Taliban itself but excluded Afghan women completely.

During our earlier engagements, we worked with key constituencies such as women, youth, religious actors, and the Diaspora, as well as their international partners. Our advice had also covered the risks and potential pitfalls associated with broader inclusion, including the cooptation of included actors and the tension and discontentment that can arise from failed or superficial inclusion mechanisms.

We also provided input on how digital tools – such as online consultations and social media – can be used to expand opportunities to participate and disseminate knowledge about the peace process. Given the political significance of the intra-Afghan talks and the tensions surrounding them, communicating information about the peace process to the broader Afghan population was of particular importance to generate legitimacy and public buy-in. A failure to do so has proved the undoing of multiple peace processes.

Inclusive Peace has also provided advice and input to Afghan women peacebuilders to help them to understand the different strategies and goals for enhancing women’s influence in the peace processes, along with the key factors that constrain and enable women’s influence, and how to build women’s solidarity and networks across different roles and constituencies including a set of common priorities for Afghan women.

Most recently, Inclusive Peace contributed to a RRW-supported initiative which brought together Afghan women peacebuilders, with a view to identifying entry points and formulating advocacy and influencing strategies regarding the political situation in the country.