WUNRN
Equality for Afghan Women Is Progress for All Afghans
Founding
Chairperson, Jalal Foundation
and former Minister of Women, Afghanistan
Jalal Foundation extends a hand of
solidarity to all women of the world in celebrating March 8 as the
International Day of Women. Today, we celebrate the achievements of the past 13
years including the restoration of equal rights in the legal frameworks, adoption
of protective measures against violence toward women, improvement of women’s
access to education and health services, and the opening of opportunities for
women’s participation in public life and politics. The seeds of gender
equality had sprouted in the hardened soil of Afghanistan and many women began
to take active part in national reconstruction efforts. Afghan women have
been driving change, not only for themselves, but more for everybody.
Nevertheless, nearly three decades after
the UN Decade for Women, so much more remains to be done to elevate the status
of Afghan women. The decree on the elimination of violence against women
did little in preventing women-directed violence and is now being questioned by
legislators for its alleged anti-Islamic provisions. But, the state should play
its important role through legal legislations. It should incriminate all forms
of physical and sexual abuse of woman, from verbal harassment, through rape, to
sex and child trafficking, in all its forms.
Likewise, the proposed Criminal
Procedure Code provides that relatives of an accused may not testify against
her/him, making it difficult for victims of domestic violence to access
justice. Reported cases of violence against women increased by 28 percent and resurgence
of Taliban-style cruelties toward women such as extra-judicial executions,
beheadings, mutilations, honor killing and murder have been on the rise.
The return of the Talibans, their cultural extremism and parochialism, which
negatively bears on the set of family relationships, family’s social and
worldly choices, and hampers development and proper social change.
Taliban, ISIS and their increasing
influence in national decision making, the imminent withdrawal of international
security forces, and all contribute to increasing anxiety about the future of
Afghan women’s rights. Many Afghan women have perished and enemies of
women’s rights are increasing. But many women, girls and men are also coming
out to push the struggle forward.
Sisterhood and solidarity with women
around the world remains a major source of strength and hope to us. We trust
that the international community will continue to give attention and support to
their sisters in Afghanistan. On this day, we also call for protection of women
in other countries in situation of armed conflict. We ask that women in those
countries be consulted in peace negotiations in accordance with UN Security
Council Resolution 1325. We also call for continuing support to survivors
of natural disasters in other countries and appeal to world leaders to
cooperate in the global effort to reduce global warming and rehabilitate
natural resources.
As the post-2015 process continues, we
call upon women world leaders to champion women’s concerns in high level dialogues
and ensure their inclusion in the post-2015 development agenda. Remember the
widows, female heads of households, women with disability, girl children and
female youth, HIV/AIDS survivors, women in armed conflict and other women who
are most marginalized by life circumstances.
Jalal Foundations invites all Afghans to
join the Human Chains for Human Rights that will be organized in all
provinces to protest the increasing incidents of violence against Afghan
women. Jalal Foundation is also launching the book ‘Hanging by a
Thread’ with the support of the International Forum for Rights and
Democracy to raise Afghan women’s concerns globally. This book will be launched
also in the United States, Canada and England in May this year.
At last it is worth to mention that the
belief in equality, in terms of human soul, spirit, dignity, and joint
responsibility for the universe, is an essential concept in the man-woman
relationship.