United Nations on Friday urged women to participate "actively" in decision-making in Afghan peace talks, on the occasion of International Women's Day.

"As we celebrate International Women's Day, let us be reminded, women cannot be left behind as Afghanistan charts its way towards sustainable peace. Having women actively and substantively participating at the peace decision-making tables is a fundamental and key step towards the shaping gender-responsive laws and policies for the benefit of all Afghans," said Tadamichi Yamamoto, the Secretary-General's Special Representative for Afghanistan in a statement to the UNAMA.

According to the UN, Afghanistan has made important advances in gender equality and the empowerment of women, but much work remains to be done. A gender-responsive social protection system is important if it is to benefit all citizens, the statement adds.

International Women's Day is celebrated globally on 8th March to commemorate the pioneering role of women around the world to secure women's rights and build more equitable societies. The first time this event was celebrated on March 8th in 1917. This was after women in Soviet Russia finally gained suffrage. The day was henceforth declared as a holiday in Soviet Russia and was eventually adopted as an internal event by the United Nation in 1975.

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