Press Releases

CONTACT: Michelle Moreno-Silva

Members of the Democratic Women’s Caucus (DWC) recently met with Afghan Negotiators Fatima Gailani and Habiba Sarabi, on issues related to women's rights, human rights, and the future of democracy in Afghanistan, as well as the importance of their country's relationship with the United States.

DWC Co-Chairs Congresswomen Jackie Speier (CA-14), Lois Frankel (FL-21), and Brenda Lawrence (MI-14) and Vice Chairs Congresswomen Veronica Escobar (TX-16) and Sylvia Garcia (TX-29) issued the following statement: “We want to thank Afghan Negotiators Fatima Gailani and Habiba Sarabi for meeting with the Democratic Women’s Caucus and for their courageous and tireless leadership. The situation in Afghanistan is dire and we are concerned that the Taliban will reinstate its brutally repressive laws on the people of Afghanistan - particularly women. We are committed to continuing to work with our President to provide humanitarian and security assistance to the Afghan people so that women and girls have adequate access to education, health care, economic security, and opportunity. Advancing the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan is vital to making our world a more equitable and safe place for all.” 

Fatima Gailani and Habiba Sarabi: “This is a critical time for Afghanistan and we are immensely grateful to our sisters at the US Congress who met with us and heard our concerns. You have stood with us in the past and have continued demanding to protect the human rights of Afghan women and girls as well as ethnic and religious minorities. For years, you have also demanded robust support to the Afghan state, especially our key institutions that protect and defend our country and the rights of our people. We need your support now and for years to come as we needed you in the past. We hope you will continue to speak for the human rights of our people, democracy in our country and the values and principles that we all share as humans. We are confident that we will have the support of our friends in the US Congress. Thank you for meeting with us and listening to us at such a critical moment for Afghanistan and the United States. Our relationship is important now as it was for the past 20 years.”

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