Afghan Women to Regain Vibrant Role in Society

(State Department fact sheet on Afghan women, March 19, 2002) (920)

A fact sheet released March 19 by the Department of State's Senior
Coordinator for International Women's Issues details the significant
contributions of Afghan women in the health and education sectors
prior to 1979, in stark contrast to their victimization under the
Taliban regime.

In December, 2001, representatives of many Afghan factions met in Bonn
and signed an agreement that underscores the centrality of democratic
principles and human rights. It offers Afghan women their greatest
hope in decades for re-claiming their vital place in Afghan society.

As Afghans work to rebuild the nation's infrastructure and services,
the U.S. government has made available $400 million in humanitarian
assistance, much of it targeted at women and children.

In 2002, the United States has pledged $296.75 million for the
reconstruction of Afghanistan; much of this money will go to programs
that empower women, according to the following fact sheet.

(begin fact sheet)

U.S. Department of State Office of the Senior Coordinator for
International Women's Issues March 19, 2002

FACT SHEET

Women In Afghanistan

The Past

Afghanistan is a country devastated by 23 years of war, poverty and
oppressive rule. It is a country with conservative social customs and
traditions. While prior to the Soviet invasion in 1979, women,
particularly in urban areas, were accorded certain rights (the
Constitutions of 1964 and 1977 provided for universal suffrage) and
freedoms, women in rural areas generally lived in a protective
patrimonial environment.

Nevertheless, women made up:

-- 74 percent of all teachers

-- 40 percent of all doctors

-- 30 percent of all government workers

Living Under The Taliban

The Afghan war against the Soviet Union and the ensuing civil war
resulted in the devastation of the country, millions of deaths, and
the flight of additional millions of refugees, chiefly to Pakistan and
Iran. In the chaos that ensued, the status of women deteriorated
sharply. The Taliban came to power in 1996, in part by pledging to
restore order to the country.

However, it soon began to enforce a series of ultra-conservative laws,
many of which were harshly repressive of women, such as:

-- Most women were banned from working outside the home

-- Girls over eight were denied education

-- Access to medical treatment was severely restricted

-- There was a brutally enforced restrictive dress code

-- Women were forbidden from leaving their homes unless accompanied by
a male relative

After The Taliban

Since the November, 2001 defeat of the Taliban, the situation of
Afghan women has improved. Women are now able to travel more freely in
the cities, they are beginning to return to work, and schools for boys
and girls will reopen on March 23, 2002.

Security Still An Issue

The situation in Afghanistan is still unstable, due in part to the
fluid political and military situation.

Particularly in more remote areas, military operations, landmines and
banditry are serious concerns.

The United States is working closely with its allies to train the new
Afghan police force and army. Women continue to be cautious in
traveling outside the cities, and many continue to cover themselves
with a burqa (the traditional garb in many parts of Afghanistan) in
both the cities and countryside.

The Bonn Agreement

In December, 2001, representatives of many Afghan factions met in Bonn
and signed an agreement which underscores the centrality of democratic
principles and human rights in its provisional arrangements. This
includes protecting the rights of women. The Bonn Agreement also
provides for the Afghan Interim Authority (AIA) to govern until the
establishment of the Transitional Administration by the Emergency Loya
Jirga in June. With the strong encouragement of the United States, two
women were appointed to the AIA: Sima Samar, Vice Chair and Minister
of women's Affairs, and Suhaila Siddiq, Minister of Public Health. The
Bonn Agreement also provided for the establishment of a 21-member
commission to organize an Emergency Loya Jirga. Three women have been
appointed to that body and a significant number of people who will be
attending this important national council meeting will be women.

U.S. Assistance

In 2001, the U.S. government made available some $400 million in
humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan, much of it targeted at women
and children. Much more will be made available this year. In addition,
the United States has pledged $296.75 million for the reconstruction
of Afghanistan, much of this money will go to programs that empower
women.

Assistance for women will focus on:

-- education

-- health services

-- repatriation of refugees, many of whom are women

-- food security -- for a country that has suffered drought for three
years (including food assistance for women and their families)

-- assistance to promote civil society, including women's
organizations

The task ahead is enormous, and will require the mobilization of both
public and private sector resources. During Chairman Karzai's visit in
January, he and President Bush launched the U.S.-Afghan Women's
Council to mobilize private resources and technical expertise to
provide education and training for Afghan women and girls.

Afghans Building A New Afghanistan

The reconstruction of Afghanistan will be an Afghan-led effort, but
the United States is emphasizing that women must play roles as
planners, implementers and beneficiaries of assistance. Establishing
the institutions provided for in the Bonn Agreement, which ensure the
respect for democratic principles and basic human rights -- including
women's rights -- will take time. The United States has pledged to
support the Afghans over the long-term as they seek to rebuild a
society in which the rights of all of its citizens are guaranteed.

(end text)

(end fact sheet)

(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)