By denying women many of their most basic human rights and fundamental freedoms, the Taliban regime in Afghanistan was the proverbial death-knell for progressive lifestyles of women in the country; as the shocking case of Malala Yousufzai demonstrates in the starkest possible manner.

The absence of a women’s grassroots support network or social movement is one of the key reasons women have been unable to exert more influence on the peace process in Afghanistan, meaning that any future peace settlement may lack sufficient safeguards to promote and entrench women’s voices.

A workshop for peacebuilders from across Afghanistan provided a variety of comparative perspectives – including from the former Yugoslavia and Northern Ireland – designed to strengthen their own peacebuilding efforts.