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If We REALLY Want To Help The Women of Afghanistan
By mickielynn on 2011-11-17 15:17:22
[caption id="attachment_2946" align="aligncenter" width="556" caption="Afghan Women Demonstrating against a
repressive marriage law"] : [/caption]
When the US war in Afghanistan began, one of the rationalizations for invading their country was that we wanted to help the
women of Afghanistan. Removing the Taleban from power, in the early phases of the war, did remove some of the forces
that repressed women and societal free expression. Unfortunately the leaders that we supported were warlords. They have
continued to use violence and repression. To add insult to injury, the leader that we chose for Afghanistan, Hamid Karzai
turned out to be someone who ignored the wishes of Afghan women, in addition to being a corrupt and weak leader. When
Afghan women leaders presented a set of demands for equal representation after a historic meeting in 2003 Karzai paid lip
service to them but went on to ignore them. If you’ve read any of our blog articles about Afghanistan then you already know
that war has the gravest impact on the women and children of that nation. They are unsafe in their homes and on their
streets, and especially in rural areas where night raids and drone attacks threaten their lives and the lives of their loved ones.
In addition Afghanistan has the world’s highest rate of maternal mortality during childbirth. How many hospitals and clinics
has the United States built with the billions of dollars spent on the decade of war? How many doctors and midwives have
been trained? But this article is about a specific way that we can help the women of Afghanistan and at the same time help
their country to come through the inevitable negotiations that are the only way to bring about a peaceful society. As the next
step in negotiations a high-level ministerial meeting will take place in Bonn, Germany on December 5, 2011. That’s where
the peace process for Afghanistan will be discussed. But as of now there is no public list of delegates to that meeting. Here
are some of the concerns that Afghan Women from the Afghan Womens Rights List (AWRL) raised on Face Book:
“Colleagues and friends, please put the question below if you really believe in Afghan women as 51% of Afghanistan and
that they have equal rights! Please encourage your colleagues/friends to do so as well. Will the German government host
[the] Bonn Conference without Afghan women? Bonn 2 is in three weeks! Where is the Afghan delegation list? What
percentage are Afghan women? Who are they? How were they selected? Who do they represent? Come on HILLARY
CLINTON and you others who are committed to "not abandoning women in Afghanistan"...where are you? Where is your
demand that there be parity in the delegation? That the top of the agenda is women's/human rights (not just big business,
lining pocket$, etc...) How much is this performance costing? We have a right to know these things.” These are all vital
concerns. Some ideas about what Afghan women can contribute to the advancement of peace in their country are taken from
a recent Afghan Women’s Network position paper: “Afghan Women Towards Bonn and Beyond”
The women of Afghanistan are the most under-utilized resource in Afghanistan -- a resource that could be
instrumental for successful peace and a stable country in the years to come. Afghan women have the right, the
capacity, and the desire to participate in crafting Afghanistan’s future, defining the terms of transition, and
shaping the peace process. Despite many positive advancements in Afghan women’s lives over the past ten
years, progress remains fragile and at times limited to rhetoric. There have been countless numbers of
resolutions, laws, policies, action plans and strategies to empower the women of Afghanistan, but the track
record for their implementation remains appalling. Anticipating gatherings of world leaders and major regional
actors in Istanbul, Brussels and Bonn, Afghan women emphasize that any roadmap for economic development,
peace, stability and security will not achieve its vision if it does not explicitly address women’s inclusion and
participation. Women consistently remind policy makers to uphold their existing commitments and frame
transition plans based on protecting advancements in human and women’s rights and acknowledging the
sacrifices Afghan women make for protection of those rights. The first Bonn Conference in 2001 established a
new framework for the Afghan state. Much of women’s achievement in the past ten years can be attributed to
the vision set forth in 2001. Therefore, Afghan women expect that ten years after Bonn, their achievements and
struggles for rights and freedoms will not only be strengthened but also promoted and advanced during the 2011
International Conference on Afghanistan in Bonn. Afghan women, as half of the population, are half of the
solution and want to contribute to aspirations and commitments for a better future for their communities and
children. After ten years of international engagement, Afghanistan is looking to move ahead. Democracy,
human rights, development, peace and stability are the issues on the minds of many Afghans. However, the
question of how the transition process will uphold the promises made regarding protecting constitutional rights
and the concerns raised by women groups and civil society at large remains.
Friday morning, November 18,2011 I also wanted to give my thanks to Connie Houde, a global photographer who has
traveled to Afghanistan five times now. Connie was the main energy source in our project to raise thousands of dollars to
build a well in a rural Afghan Village [Mir Taqi Shah, south of Kabul]. You can read more about that project on our website.
Connie has connected the women of the WAW Afghanistan Project with several of the list serves that keep us up to date
about women's issues in Afghanistan. Last night, Thursday, 11/17, at our annual membership meeting, Connie took a photo
of many of us wearing green scarfs and shawls a symbol of our support for the role of Afghan women. Our picture will be
displayed with other international pictures at the Bonn conference in December. [caption id="attachment_2956"
align="aligncenter" width="600" caption="Green Scarves to support Afghan Women at Bonn2, photo by Connie Frisbee
LaF
Houde"] [/caption]
