Analyzing Afghanistan’s Conflict Since (2001) and Its Effect on Women’s Empowerment and Education through Feminist Standpoint Theory
Keywords:
Conflict, Women’s empowerment, Education, Feminism, Peacebuilding, StandpointAbstract
This Paper analyzes the Afghanistan conflict and its effect on women’s empowerment and girls’ education using the feminist standpoint theory. Over the past 20 years international community, the United States, and the Afghan government collectively worked toward girls’ access to education, women’s empowerment, and peacebuilding in Afghanistan. However, after the withdrawal of the United States from Afghanistan and the empowerment of the Taliban, everything changed back to 2001. The 20 years of work toward girls’ education and women’s empowerment just disappeared and the policies did not sustain either.
The study contextualized the Afghanistan conflict through feminist standpoint theory focusing on the importance of women’s perspectives and standpoints during peacebuilding. Highlighted the significant role education plays in sustainable peacebuilding and women’s empowerment.
Feminist standpoint theory in the conflict in Afghanistan since 2001 explains how the Patriarchal norms systemically marginalized women by excluding them from education, employment, and decision- making at all levels. The international community and Afghanistan government’s approaches toward peacebuilding and women’s empowerment did not fit the norms and ignored women’s standpoint and uniqueness, therefore, resulting in a full gender-blind education system after political change.
This paper concludes that feminist standpoint theory is crucial to understanding the complex gender dynamics in the patriarchal background and conflict. Therefore, considering women’s standpoint, (level of education, social and cultural background, marital status) is not only vital in conflict management but in the development of education policies to mitigate conflict impact on education, especially girls’ education. Meanwhile, women’s standpoint in peacebuilding is also vital as the conflict in Afghanistan highly affects women, and their rights to education, employment, and decision-making.
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