Case study: Global intervention in Afghanistan

What is the background of Afghanistan?

• A largely mountainous, landlocked country in the Middle East

• Before 2001, the Taliban (not recognised as a legitimate govt) controlled 90% of the country - political instability hindered development

What were the main human rights abuses in Afghanistan before the intervention?

• Gender inequality - Ranks 153rd out of 189 countries in the Gender Inequality Index - high MMR, high adolescent birth rate, low percentage share in Parliament, 12% of women in secondary education and 20% in the labour force

• Restricted socio-economic development - life expectancy: 53; 55% of the population lived below the poverty line

• Population displacement - 1.7 million people were internally displacement - lack of security and employment opportunities

• Violation of women and girls - in 2018, 87% of women endured, physical, emotional or sexual abuse; no girls were allowed to go to school

• Child Rights - Protection education and health - only one million boys were enrolled in school

• Food insecurity - conflict and population movement (return migrants from Iran and Pakistan), rapid urbanisation and severe drought

• Arracks on journalists and human rights defenders

• Democracy is threatened - disruptions of elections by attacks on polling stations

Why did the US and NATO intervene in Afghanistan?

After 9/11, Osama Bin Ladin was hiding in Afghanistan and the Taliban refused to hand him over so forces intervened militarily to try to eliminate the terrorist threat and support democracy.

What strategies were used in Afghanistan: political and security strategies

• They installed a new govt constitution, replacing the Taliban - democratic stable govt and the rule of law

• Removing insurgents to stop extremists

• To encourage stability by training Afghan security forces to stop the rise of militants and keep people involved

• British officers have helped to establish a military training academy that aims to train 100 female army officers per year.

What strategies were used in Afghanistan: Social

• They rebuilt schools and reintroduced girls and boys into the education system - In 2001 no girls attended formal schools and there were only 1 million boys enrolled. By 2012 the World Bank says there were 7.8 million pupils attending school - including about 2.9 million girls.

• Life expectancy has increased slightly from 56 to 60 years.

• According to the UN, access to safe drinking water improved from 4.8% of the population to 60.6% by 2011.

• Vaccination campaigns continue to work towards the elimination of polio in Afghanistan, one of the last remaining countries where the disease remains endemic. In 2013 there were 14 reported cases, down from 37 in 2012.

What strategies were used in Afghanistan: Economy

• Agricultural practices were encourages to try to get farmers to not grow opium but in 2013 this was still the largest import

• According to the World Bank only 28% of its population is connected to the national power grid and the service is unreliable.

By 2019 how many Afghan security forces, coalition forces and civilian were killed in the conflict?

• Afghan forces: 45,000

• 3500 coalitions

• 42,000 opposition forces were also killed in conflict

What role did the UN have in Afghanistan?

• They set up the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan aimed to work and support the government to support the peace process, to monitor and promote human rights and protect citizens. to promote good governance and encourage regional cooperation

• They work with food, shelter and health security while UNICEF promoted the rights of children.

• They coordinated and worked with other NGOs to help Afghanistan develop

What were the strategies in rural areas?

• Protecting girls from child marriages, protecting children from being child soldiers, protecting children from being child soldiers, proving educational services and supplying freshwater to communities

• UNDP has set up rural development programmes to improve local democracy by having District Development Assemblies which decided on what is best for their communities.

• USAID also helped improve food security and agricultural productivity - helping the country be self-sufficient and not rely on foreign exports whilst enduring unskilled people are employed

What were the strategies urban areas?

• UN Habitat is working to co-ordinate with the govt to upgrade neighbourhoods in the capital.

• Rebuilding services such as schools, sanitation, electricity and healthcare

• The Community development councils which are locally elected to serve local needs on smaller scale - 50% female membership

Why dis rural and urban strategies differ?

• Rural communities are less accountable and thus tend to be more traditional and less progressive - Child marriages and treatment of women could be more extensive and rhus take priority

• Rural communities also are less accessible to healthcare - mobile teams can help combat this

• Rural communities tend to be poorly educated due to a lack of money and facilities - agricultural practices are more suitable for rural communities

• Urban communities usually have more infrastructure damage due to conflict

• Setting up democratic bodies can help people support bodies can help people support these systems - empower people and raise the status of women

Why is the inclusion of women important?

Their inclusion of women in Afghan law can help raise the status of women and help keep violations against women and girls accountable and low but female participation has remained low (27%)

What role did the national Afghan govt do?

• Established the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commissions, it is working closely with the UN to implementation of the Elimination of Violence Against Women Law and other laws to help the promotion of other human rights

• They’re also improving the access to justice by setting up an independent judiciary and setting up groups such as the Economic Cooperation Organisation

What occurred in 2022?

• The Trump administration made a deal with the Taliban to allow the withdrawal of US and thus NATO troop in exchange for a guarantee of anti-terrorist behaviour

• Since then, the Taliban has set up their regime putting Islam at the centre of politics, getting rid of the democratic system and removing women from society

• NGOs have had to remove themselves as they worked with local women but as they’ve been removed from society they can no longer function

Who are AfghanAid?

• They focus on the most remote and poorest sections in Afghanistan

• Their aims is for long-term development based on resolving issues such as food security, women’s rights, economic livelihoods

• They work in 31 provinces in Afghanistan

How have Afghan Aid been successful: Community-led development

Building meaningful relationship by working with people and prioritising local ownership (committees set up to help with planning)

How have Afghan Aid been successful: Gender equity

Promoting female leadership and visibility in society - Running literacy classes, help develop skills and set up their own businesses, raising awareness of women

How have Afghan Aid been successful: Good governance

Strengthen the relationship between citizens and local authorities - positive engagement in local communities and de-marginalising groups. Strengthening livelihoods - In 2022, more than 83,500 livelihoods were strengthened through projects that help them with resources, training them with more sustainable agricultural practices, connecting them to markets and helping with transportation.