Some minimal progress has been made in Afghanistan in terms of women's rights since 2001 but women in the rural strongholds of the Taliban are still facing an abysmal situation.
President Karzai is trying to negotiate with the Taliban under his reconciliation and reintegration plan, meaning that women's rights are taking a backseat to stability.
When Rachel Reid, an analyst for Human Rights Watch, asked President Karzai,"Will there be some kind of vetting to exclude people from power if they have a track record in abusing women or girls, including attacks on schools, he basically said, 'What would you choose? You could choose to save a child's life, or you could choose to keep a child in school.' "
While the trade-off shouldn't exist many activists in the region are saying that peace needs to come first and that the issue shouldn't be framed in terms of women's rights.
Read the full feature in the National Post.
