If Afghanistan is to progress, women must be given a say

A peace agreement with the Taliban will only be meaningful if women are involved in the negotiations, say Anne-Marie Slaughter and Ashley Jackson

When Zalmay Khalilzad was appointed as the US special representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation in September 2018, an end to America’s longest war seemed in sight. Now, following US president Donald Trump’s sudden announcement in late December that the US would withdraw 7,000 troops from the country, the pressure on Khalilzad to secure a deal with the Taliban by spring has increased dramatically.