Fatima Gailani on Afghanistan’s missed opportunities

The Mediator's Studio

Peace negotiator and former President of the Afghan Red Crescent Society, Fatima Gailani, shares behind-the-scenes moments from her long career in Afghan politics – from the 1980s, when she became a spokesperson for the Mujahideen, to 2021, when she came out of retirement to take part in negotiations with the Taliban. She recalls childhood memories of Afghanistan’s “Golden Era” and the subsequent shock of seeing a country scarred by civil war when she returned from exile many years later. Her first-hand account reveals what it is like to be a woman in the predominantly male realm of Afghan politics, and why she continues to hope for a truly inclusive peace.