For over two decades, the U.S.-Afghan Women’s Council has endured as a testament to the vital importance of collaboration in support of women and children in Afghanistan and beyond.
The George W. Bush Institute continues to promote and support policies to hold brutal regimes like the Taliban accountable for their crimes against women and children.
In recognition of the tremendous work and commitment of Council members, Bush Institute Executive Director David J. Kramer shared the following remarks on behalf of the Bush Institute and Mrs. Laura Bush during the USAWC’s annual meeting this June.
At the Bush Institute, we refuse to give up on Afghanistan. Through our work, we continue to promote and support policies that hold brutal regimes like the Taliban accountable for their crimes against women and children. We remain committed to a brighter future for all Afghans.
This is not the first time Afghans have suffered under Taliban control. Before the global response to 9/11 that liberated the country, female Afghans were prohibited from every part of public life. Justice and quality education were inaccessible to all Afghans. Illiteracy, severe malnutrition, and maternal and infant mortality were widespread. And the Taliban utilized terror and targeted persecution to advance their brutal agenda and vicious control. The climate looked much like it does today.
But twenty years ago, in March of 2005, we visited Afghanistan. This was the first time an American first lady had traveled to this country, and only the second time a first lady had ever visited an active war zone. On this trip, we witnessed what freedom and possibility could like in Afghanistan without the Taliban rule. What we saw was a testament to the resilience and tenacity of Afghan women and the communities they support.
The U.S. delegation was warmly welcomed by children attending school, men and women training to be teachers, and female entrepreneurs proudly displaying their handicrafts. Our “secret schedule” included celebrating the advancement of education infrastructures like the opening of the Women’s Dormitory at Kabul University and the launch of the American University of Afghanistan, which courageously still operates today.
All of this seemed impossible a short time before. But Afghan women, and the individuals, organizations, and networks that stood with them made swift progress a reality. The US-Afghan Women’s Council was critical to many of these advancements.
Much of that progress has been set back since the Taliban’s return in 2021. Though challenges again seem insurmountable, we cannot lose hope, especially as some argue that progress is again impossible, much to the Taliban’s chagrin.
Those of us who know the strength and leadership of Afghan women know better.
As part of the Bush Institute’s efforts to stand with the women of Afghanistan, we will continue to bear witness to what is happening, including focusing on the use of underutilized anticorruption mechanisms – like the expansion of targeted sanctions – to hold the Taliban accountable for their egregious violations of human rights.
The USAWC will always have an ally in the Bush Institute. We are inspired by those across this Council who have devoted decades of support to fight for a free and fair future for all Afghans. And we thank you for your dedication, ambition, collaboration, and hope.
