On July 20th, over 70 world leaders gathered in Kabul for a conference on the future of Afghanistan and how to plan for a better tomorrow.

Actionaid was present and was once again unhappy to observe that the ordinary voices of Afghanistan were severely underrepresented . Of the 70 panelists only one was representative of wider Afghans and women were barely represented, this is the same shocking inequality that Actionaid reported last year at this same conference.

Afghanistan is a country characterized by internal conflict and warfare, women do not enjoy a high level of autonomy and human rights violations are far too common. Actionaid works closely with Afghani children through their sponsor a child programs along with other initiatives. A high premium is placed upon encouraging equal opportunities between young men and young women. It was therefore upsetting to see the country not taking steps toward enacting these changes on a larger scale.

Richard Miller, Executive Director of ActionAid UK said: “There have been numerous conferences on Afghanistan in the past ten years, all of which have delivered little in real terms for the Afghan people who have suffered from years of violence and a lack of good development. It is essential that the voices of ordinary Afghans, including women, are heard at this conference as what is decided here will affect them more than anyone else.”

“Aid in Afghanistan, in the view of the Afghan people, seems always to ‘follow the boots’- it is concentrated in areas where there is a military presence, meaning that vast parts of the country are neglected. Such a strategy has invariably fuelled resentment and violence in the provinces that have received less money, creating an endless cycle of conflict which continually feeds on itself.”

Actionaid has also been vocal in the international community, warning that an increase in aid will be ineffectual in creating greater security unless there is a large – scale reconsideration of how aid is spent. Larger equality and more inclusion is the key to great security and a more stable economy within this country.