Afghan women leave the country in fear of Taliban return
Tracy McVeigh, The Observer, Sat 26 May 2012
A brain drain of bright young women is already taking place in Afghanistan before the 2014 handover that many fear will mean a reversal of advances in women’s rights.
The lack of commitment by the Afghan government to equality and to tackling the high rates of ill-treatment of women in the home and in the workplace is raising real fears they will be at the bottom of the political agenda in the push for power after Nato forces leave the country.
Worsening security for civilians – casualties among ordinary Afghans have risen year on year for the last five years with 3,021 killed in 2011, and women are thought to be suffering disproportionately – has led to rising numbers of women and girls leaving education and the workforce and staying indoors, according to Guhramaana Kakar, a gender adviser to President Hamid Karzai.
Speaking to the Observer, Kakar said negotiations between the government and the Taliban and other insurgent groups were ignoring women’s rights. A recent survey by charity ActionAid suggested 86% of Afghan women were fearful of a return to Taliban-style rule. One in five worried about the education of their daughters but 72% said their lives were better now than a decade ago.
“Women do want the progress that has been made over the past 10 years to continue, but they are being kept away from the political processes,” Kakar said. “All Afghans, men and women, want a country without foreign troops, but I think the international community should be putting women on the agenda and making sure their security and freedoms are secured, directly and indirectly.”
She criticised the recent Nato conference in Chicago for completely ignoring the issue. “Women are regularly harassed in the workplace, they are exploited and credit for their achievements taken by men, while also being targeted by insurgents for going to work or school. They suffer the worst in the security situation and, even at home, they are subjected to violence and abuse which is tacitly sanctioned by the courts and the government.”
Kakar has been involved in peace negotiations with the Taliban and believes more women should be allowed into the political system. “We have many women in parliament but they are given very weak roles. We have very brave women who are gaining respect and in some cases are trusted more than the men to negotiate, because they are seen as having less political baggage.
“If more women were allowed into the provincial and peace councils, this would be a big show to the insurgents that they cannot reverse 10 years of women’s advancements.”
Growing levels of violence against women and a disregard by many courts for their legal protection has led to horrific stories of children being raped and then imprisoned for adultery, and schoolteachers being attacked for teaching girls. ActionAid’s head of public affairs, Melanie Ward, said the security situation was an enormous threat to women. “Experience tells us that an increase in attacks on women is often an early warning sign that the Taliban is regaining control in an area.”
“Security for women cannot be divorced from the wider security agenda in Afghanistan.”
Selay Ghaffar, chief executive of the Kabul-based NGO Humanitarian Assistance for the Women and Children of Afghanistan, says many young women are leaving. “They see no future for themselves in Afghanistan so the bright ones are seeking scholarships or work abroad. We have had two schools for girls burned down near the capital in recent days, acid attacks on girls going to school, increasing stories of rape and of kidnap.
“Many NGOs who try to help women have been killed. Billions of dollars from international organisations have been poured into Afghanistan and ended up in the pockets of male politicians, while women are left to feel insecure in their own land. For those who cannot leave, it is sending them back into the home; many women are deciding to stop work.
More HERE
h/t UppityWoman
Headclunker 05.27.12 at 5:13 pm
I went to the NGO website and and found this: ““HOW YOU CAN HELP”
h/t Headclunker
And there’s RAWA, which has been around for years.
Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan (RAWA)
www.rawa.org
http://www.rawa.org/donation.htm
h/t dances
{ 19 comments… read them below or add one }
stoney42 05.27.12 at 3:04 pm
What a shame. I sometimes wonder at what age little boys are brain-washed into thinking that they are superior to females.
Headclunker 05.27.12 at 4:09 pm
Sroney42,
From birth.
Headclunker 05.27.12 at 5:08 pm
Sorry, Stoney42.
Headclunker 05.27.12 at 5:13 pm
Someone needs to show these people how to use Paypal.
I went to the NGO website and “How you can help” and found this: http://www.hawca.org/main/en/donate-us-topmenu-36.html
Can we take up a collection and send it in?
Headclunker 05.27.12 at 5:15 pm
Really touching publications, too:
http://hawca.org/main/en/shop-with-hawca.html
DancesWithPumas 05.27.12 at 7:50 pm
Stoney42,
The emotional, sexual, and psychological stereotyping of females begins when the doctor says: It’s a girl. — Shirley Chisholm
“Of my two handicaps, being female put many more obstacles in my path than being black.” — Shirley Chisholm
Headclunker 05.27.12 at 8:46 pm
DWP,
I have often wondered how black women can tell if they are being discriminated against because they are black or because they are women. Why is this all so hard?
DancesWithPumas 05.27.12 at 9:19 pm
HEADCLUNKER,
Not being a black woman, I really can’t answer your question. My guess is they are also discriminated against based on gender by Black men, as well as men in general. Although, I have a hard time not believing that Black men, and women, discriminate against their own due to internalized racism.
Delle 05.28.12 at 4:12 am
The US government is easing the airport screening process for travelers 75 and older……From this weekend the elderly will no longer have to doff shoes, belts and jackets as they pass through security checkpoints……
http://nation.foxnews.com/tsa/2012/05/26/tsa-eases-airport-screening-75-year-old-passengers
Hey – this is profiling! Shouldn’t we passengers under the age of 75 sue for discrimination? I think so.
HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY EVERYONE!
FLBarbara 05.28.12 at 12:36 pm
I wanted to post this to the last thread, as it pertains to US laws vs Shariah law, but I am traveling. It seems Islamic laws and barbaric treatment is not limited to women. I have worked with some incredible women, one of them is Ly Wright. Ly is with Animals Australia an organization that is desperately trying to stop the shipment of Australia’s live animals for slaughter to Islamic countries. Australia is the only country that ships live animals for slaughter to Egypt, Indonesia, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and all over the Middle East. Islamic law requires the animal to be fully conscious while slaughtered and the ritual be performed only by a muslim. Therefore to comply with Islamic law Australia ships live animals by boats and many do not survive the grueling 3 week sea voyage but after watching the videos by Animals Australia and Ly’s investigation in Indonesia it seems they’re the lucky ones. Animals Australia has filmed the most horrific treatment of animals and Ly herself witnessed and filmed a documentary
in Indonesia in an effort to bring this barbaric treatment to the worlds attention to petition the Australian government to stop the shipment of live animals to Islamic countries.
The Islamic feast of Eid-Ul- Adha commerates Ibrahim being commanded to kill his son, instead of killing his son, allah gave him a sheep to kill. It is estimated that over 100 million sheep, goats, cows and camels are tortured and slaughtered in the streets during this festival the streets literally run red with blood. It is estimated that in the 2 days 2 million animals are slaughtered in Pakistan alone.
The film shows live sheep arriving by boat from Australia. Many are just thrown down from the ship
to the dock below. The men waiting for their “take home” sheep beat them mercilessly, stand on their necks, jump on their barely breathing bodies in order to tie their legs together, they push, pull and drag them through the streets. They toss them in the trunks of cars, as many as 4 where temperatures reach over 100 degrees, or they tie them to the top of their cars. The faces of these poor defenseless animals say it all. AGONY. CRUEL. Barbaric.
The slaughter itself is barbaric and violent and includes more torture. In order for a sacrifice to be considered Hala the animal must conscious and bleed to death facing mecca. Many of the Udhiyyah, sacrificed animals, suffer violently, legs cut off, eyes gouged out, their throats are cut over and over and over because the knife is Blunt. This is so wrong on so many levels and all I can say is What God preaches this? What God asks followers to inflict pain on a defenseless animal?
In Sunrise FL a local mosque “rented” a park for the festival of Eid al-Adha and commissioner Shelia Alu fought against animals being slaughtered at a “festival” and won. CAIR response was she “had a problem” and they have a right to practice religion”. Here in the US we have LAWS to protect animals from abuse and no person or religion is exempt. Here in the US we do not slaughter animals in a “festival” in a public parks…not now not ever. Will you please help me bring attention to this barbaric treatment.
I warn you this is graphic and violent BUT I so desperately need for this to make its way around so we can stop this madness and ensure this never happens in the US because this is so wrong. Watch all of Ly Wrights courageous videos and remember Silence is not spokem here. Thanks so much
http://liveexport-indefensible.com/
FLBarbara 05.28.12 at 12:49 pm
I sincerely appreciate any and all help from my Hillary friends…UPPITY will you please as an animal lover help me? Thank you and Blessings
FLBarbara 05.28.12 at 5:18 pm
I am sorry i am typing on a phone her name is Lyn White
bellecat 05.29.12 at 2:42 pm
FL Barbara #10
Who are the real animals…?
I don’t know if I can stomach to watch the videos, but would definitely want to help and join UPPITY to expose these barbaric homo sapiens. Please lead us…
Thank you for your post.
DancesWithPumas 05.29.12 at 4:07 pm
FLBarbara 05.28.12 at 12:36 pm
Barbara, I think may have better luck garnering UppityWoman’s attention by reposting your comment(#10)at her blog: http://uppitywoman08.wordpress.com/
DancesWithPumas 05.29.12 at 4:08 pm
It seems Islamic laws and barbaric treatment is not limited to women.
—————-
Word.
DancesWithPumas 05.29.12 at 4:59 pm
Dozens of Afghan schoolgirls hospitalized for third time in 2 weeks; Taliban blamed for ‘poison attack’
Last week, more than 120 girls and three teachers were hospitalized under similar circumstances. The Taliban denied responsibility for the May 23 attack. The day before, 40 girls were hospitalized at a different school.
Historically, the Taliban has been opposed to girls attending school, and had previously called for schools to be closed in northern Afghanistan. Conservative government officials have also opposed girls going to school.
According to the BBC, some officials have attributed the attacks “to mass hysteria among schoolgirls,” noting that few if any “have displayed long-term symptoms of poisoning.” Others, though, say the sheer number of students displaying symptoms cannot be entirely attributed to hysteria.
And it’s not the first time Afghan schoolgirls have been targeted. In 2009, hundreds of girls were hospitalized in the Kapisa province in eastern Afghanistan in three attacks over as many weeks. In 2010, more than three dozen schoolgirls were hospitalized in a suspected poison attack at another girls school.
http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/afghan-schoolgirls-poisoned-hundreds-hospitalized-second-time-week-190135368.html
HELP SAVE THE GIRLS AND WOMEN!!
Save them and everything else follows.
DancesWithPumas 05.29.12 at 8:09 pm
Headclunker
And there’s RAWA, which has been around for years.
Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan (RAWA)
http://www.rawa.org
http://www.rawa.org/donation.htm
stoney42 05.31.12 at 7:14 am
I remember May 31 2008.
Headclunker 05.31.12 at 7:39 am
F for FAIL
Buck Farack
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