International Women's Day Aims at Bringing Hope to Women in Afghanistan By Khaleda Atta April-June 1998 Lemar-Aftaab On March 8, the annual celebration of “International Women’s Day” (IWD) was observed, with a special dedication this year to the women in Afghanistan. As suggested by Emma Bonino of the European Union, the focus of IWD ’98 was an appeal on behalf of the women in Afghanistan living under the fundamentalist government in Afghanistan. This year’s theme was “Working for Human Rights: Women Light the Way”. IWD is an international holiday that has been honoring women and their achievements since 1911. In honor of IWD, many conferences were held around the world including Geneva, Hamburg, Barcelona, and other European cities. Some special events set up by the United Nations who gave official recognition to this holiday in 1975, included a panel discussion of panel experts on Women’s Humans Rights on March 5th. Gender based violence and discrimination is a harsh reality facing the lives of thousands of women in Afghanistan today. Since the fundamentalist takeover of control of 85% of Afghanistan, these problems have been exacerbated by specific and publicly articulated policies designed to remove women from participating in many aspects of public life in Afghanistan. Sexism, degradation, and arbitrary retention by the fundamentalist government has restricted women and young girls from obtaining an education and working. The dignity and worth of a human being rests on their ability to do what they deem right for themselves to do in life. What is left for the women in Afghanistan when these rights have been denied to them? It is the fundamental freedom and right of a human to become knowledgeable-- why should anyone be given the right to take this away from our Afghan women? Education is essential for empowering women with knowledge, skills, and self-confidence for full participation in development of a nation. The dedication of International Women’s Day this year to the women in Afghanistan is an outcry to the international community for cooperation and social support for the equal status of women. After all , it is not just a matter of “women’s” rights but it is often forgotten that this is an issue of human rights. An intensification of efforts for the protection and promotion of human rights of women is crucial and mandatory. Human rights of women are an inalienable, integral an indivisible part of universal human rights. Full and equal participation by women in political, civil, economic, social and cultural life at the national, regional, and internationa l levels and the eradication of all forms of discrimination on grounds of sex should be priority objectives of the international community. After all, the socio-economic infrastructure of a nation lies in the hands of the women and men who run it. Last year, from November 12-24, the United Nations sent a seven member team of officials to Afghanistan and Pakistan to investigate the condition of the women. Among the members of the Gender Mission team was included Ms. Angela King, UN Special Advisor on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women, Assistant Secretary General and Mission Leader, and Ms. Misrak Elias, Senior Advisor, Women in Development, UNICEF, NY. The report of the Gender Mission which was completed on January 21, 1998 brought out the harsh facts of the occurrences in Afghanistan today. During the two week period, mission members visited Bamyan, Farah, Herat, Kabul, Kandahar in Afghanistan as well as Islamabad and Peshawar in Pakistan. In a summary of the Report of the Gender Mission to Afghanistan, it was stated: “The situation of girls and women is defined by two primary factors—deprivations caused by continuing war, and policies directed toward the removal of women from public life—and two secondary factors— traditional customs that often reinforce their secondary status, and assistance programming that fails to mainstream women.” Number 21 of the report made by those of the Gender Mission to Afghanistan Group stated: “Although accurate statistics are impossible to collect and analyze, when last calculated, Afghanistan's per capita income was estimated to be $280.00. The country is ranked among the lowest on the United Nations Human Development Index (HDI), and is now ranked as the lowest of 130 countries on the UNDP Gender Disparity Index (GDI), which offers a combined measure of life expectancy educational attainment and income among girls and women. Maternal mortality is ranked as the second highest in the world: women are known to have up to 22 pregnancies (average live births is estimated to be 6.9), the fertility rate is estimated at 4.8 percent, and only twelve percent of women have access to even the most basic health care.” The de facto prohibition of women’s participation in the few public activities available in Afghanistan leaves them hopeless and despaired. It is up to the Afghan abroad and the international community to try and help these suffering women out and give them back their natural freedoms and rights as humans. (The data and information used in this and subsequent sections were taken from the 1995 and 1996 and Human development Reports, statistics, information and reports provided by UNDP, UNOCHA, UNICEF , the World Bank, other agencies and NGOs in Afghanistan, Islamabad and Peshwar.) Related Outside Links: Petition for Afghan Women's Human Rights (outside link) International Women's Day Web Site (outside link) Copyright © 1998 Aftaabzad Publications. All Rights Reserved. May not be duplicated or distributed in any form without permission.