KANDAHAR CITY (Pajhwok): Women have the ability to stop their male family members from going to the war if their awareness is increased, peace negotiators in southern Kandahar province believe.
Jamila Yousafi, the provincial peace committee secretary, told this to a gathering of women coming from Kandahar City, the provincial capital, and districts a day earlier.
The gathering which took place at the women’s affairs department was attended by the department head, Ruqia Achakzai, and the provincial peace committee members Shahida Hussain and Zarghona Baloch, the provincial council member Sarina Faizi, defence lawyer Gul Maki and a representative of the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission Zubida Kamal.
Jamila Yousafi said women in villages and remote parts could help with the peace process if work on creating awareness among them was done.
She believed enlightening women’s minds would mean progress in the reconciliation process and ending the turmoil.
She said women in villages should stop their brothers, sons and husbands from going to the war and invite them to lead a normal peaceful life.
She said women influenced many matters pertaining to their male family members and a wise woman could effectively play a positive role in shaping destiny of her family.
She called for creating awareness among women through an organized mechanism about the devastating effects of war in order to encourage them to stop their men from joining the conflict and raising their children in a proper way to make their future secure.
Kandahar Women’s Affairs director Ruqia Achakzai said now the time had come when men and women should make joint efforts at ending the conflict.
She urged female members of the peace committee to launch awareness-creating programmes for women in rural areas and inform them that the government wanted an end to the bloodshed and fratricide.
Peace committee member Zarghona Baloch said women could play a major role in bringing peace and stability to their villages and homes.
She said bringing peace needed efforts at regional and international levels and praised President Ashraf Ghani for his efforts in this regard since assuming office.
In this regard, she mentioned the recent direct talks between the government and Taliban representatives in Pakistan.
Besides these efforts, she insisted, inclusive efforts should be made for peace and stability inside homes.
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