Afghan Women’s Economic Rights Subject of US New AWER Program

On the margins of the UN General Assembly, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced the Alliance for Afghan Women’s Economic Resilience (AWER), which aims to promote the economic rights and well-being of Afghan women.

The AWER is a public-private partnership between the US Department of State and Boston University that aims to advance the economic rights, entrepreneurship, education, and career prospects, and the general well-being of Afghan women, launched by Blinken on September 20.

“Women, no matter where they live, should have equal rights in every facet of their lives,” said Blinken.

The program’s subject centers on women as they should be given the same freedoms as everyone else to travel, express themselves, and follow their own paths. This includes equal opportunities to study, employment, and access to financial resources.

AWER highlights the US’ firm commitment to Afghan women and girls while also paving the way for the development of long-lasting, solutions to Afghan women’s economic security, according to a statement by the US Department of State, released on September 20.

The Taliban claimed to have become more moderate since their initial period of rule in the 1990s after seizing control of Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, in August 2021 and toppling the internationally supported government. However, as time went on, events disproved the Taliban’s claims.

The Taliban established an all-male administration made up of former members of their draconian rule, which forbade girls from attending school after the seventh grade, imposed mandatory Hijab, and marginalized them from the labor market.

The Taliban has enforced stringent edicts on women, which according to the rights organization has “systematically erased” women from society.

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