Author: Gayatri Patel

Gayatri Patel is vice president of external relations at the Women’s Refugee Commission. With nearly 20 years of experience in women’s rights and gender equality, Gayatri oversees the organization’s policy advocacy and communications. Gayatri previously served as the director of gender advocacy at CARE USA, where she led US government advocacy on women’s economic empowerment, gender-based violence, and gender in humanitarian emergencies. Additionally, she chaired various gender-focused advocacy coalitions to push for strong policies and resources to advance gender equality globally.

Stop Betraying the Women of Afghanistan

Regardless of whether President Biden inherited the mess in Afghanistan or perpetuated it himself is secondary to what choices the United States will make to fix the situation we are in now. It is past time for the U.S. to live up to the commitments it has made to Afghan women and girls—the U.S. has the power to ensure that Afghan women are equal partners in retaining their rights and lifting their own country from crisis. The U.S. must include Afghan women leaders in decisions about peace, security and humanitarian aid. And the U.S. must not take Afghan assets out of the pockets of private citizens who desperately need those funds to survive and restore their lives. 

As Mary Akrami, an Afghan women’s rights activist noted, “We Afghan women will not allow anyone [to] play with Afghanistan anymore. … Enough is enough for us.”  

To Protect Afghan Girls, the Biden Administration Must Take Real Action: "No More Empty Promises"

To Protect Afghan Girls, the Biden Administration Must Take Real Action: “No More Empty Promises”

Taliban nostalgia threatens 20 years of progress for Afghan girls. The lives, aspirations and rights of girls are not just getting lost in the mix—they are actively being squashed.

How the U.S. responds will be a true test of whether the Biden administration’s stated commitment to gender equality applies in practice and beyond rhetoric. We don’t need another speech or more photo opportunities. We have enough promises. What we need is for President Biden to galvanize real action. Afghan girls deserve nothing less.