Women's rights in Afghanistan
'There cannot be national security without women's security: there can be no peace when women's lives are fraught with violence, when our children can't go to schools, when we cannot step on the streets for fear of acid attacks.'
Mary Akrami, Director of the Afghan Women Skills Development Centre, January, 2010
Afghan activists meet UK student activists
At this year's student conference we welcomed activists from Afghanistan's campaign group Young Women for Change. They work to empower and improve the lives of women in the country, despite facing violence and threats from government and Taliban forces alike. As we gear up to make women's rights in Afghanistan a key issue for us in 2013, watch the students getting inspired and showing their support for these brave women.
Don't trade away women's rights
But since the re-emergence of insurgency in 2005 by armed groups, including the Taliban, the basic human rights of women and girls are under attack once again. We are seriously concerned that as the Afghan government enter into discussions with the Taliban, women in the country are at real risk of losing the basic rights they have been able to claim in the last decade. Download our briefing: Afghanistan - Don't trade away women's rights (Oct 2011) |
A decade of progress, but Afghan women still lose out
Friday 7 October marked 10 years to the day since international coalition forces, led by the USA, invaded Afghanistan to overthrow the Taliban.
The past decade has seen significant progress for Afghan civilians, but there's still a lot of work to do to secure equal rights for women.
Millions of Afghan women and girls have seen progress in their lives since 2001: two and a half million girls are enrolled in school, women can work outside their homes, while the constitution grants women and men equal rights.
Yet Afghanistan remains one of the most difficult and dangerous places in the world to be a woman. Women's rights in Afghanistan are rarely enforced in practice, and access to basic services like education and healthcare remains extremely limited. As well as living in an international conflict zone, women are likely to face risk of domestic abuse. Women who are active in public life are especially subject to intimidation and the daily threat of violence.
Ten years ago, the international community promised it would bring freedom to Afghan women and men. As the Afghan government and the international community begin to plan their country's future, however, many Afghan women fear that they will be abandoned and their hard earned rights sacrificed in the search for a political deal.
Women's voices have been largely silenced in the lead up to talks around a peace deal. We strongly believe that women not only have a right to be involved in any future peace process but their participation is also crucial to securing a just peace for all Afghans.
Women's rights: the background
Even before the Taliban ruled Afghanistan, women and girls in the country faced discrimination and inequality, high rates of maternal mortality, low literacy rates, and high levels of violence - particularly domestic violence.
Yet economic, social and political participation has been open to women in Afghanistan in the past: they gained the right to vote and enter politics as long ago as 1919. Women were also involved in drafting the 1964 Afghan constitution,which allowed for more equality between the sexes.
Taliban rule
The Taliban ruled from 1996 until 2001. Under Taliban rule, women faced discrimination in all areas of life. They were denied education, employment, freedom of movement and political participation and representation. They were excluded from public life and prohibited from studying, working or leaving the house unless chaperoned by a mahram - a male blood relative.
Girls' education
Since 2006 the Taliban and other insurgent groups have increasingly attacked schools with missiles, bombs and explosives. A clear common motive behind these attacks is the intention to undermine the authority of the central government and make people afraid to use governmental services. A common effect is that civilians are killed and injured and an already fragile education system is seriously undermined.
Girls' education has been particularly hard hit by the Taliban and other armed groups. They have attacked teachers and students, and targeted girls' schools. Data obtained by Amnesty International shows that 74 schools were destroyed or closed down from March to December 2010 as a result of violence, including rocket attacks, bombings, poisoning of students, arson and threats. Of these attacks, 26 targeted girls' schools.
Political life
Women active in politics, including parliamentarians and provincial councillors, face attacks and threats from the Taliban and other armed groups. Not only does this endanger politically active women, it also impedes their ability to defend the rights of all Afghan women and girls.
Cruel, inhuman and degrading punishments
In areas under insurgent control, incidents of torture and other ill-treatment towards civilians, including beatings and brutal punishments have been reported. Often horrific punishments are dispensed following a 'trial' by a local Taliban 'court'. For example, in March 2010, 18 year old Bibi Aysha had her nose and ears cut off by her husband in Uruzgan province, southern Afghanistan, apparently on the order of a Taliban commander acting as 'judge' for the crime of running away from her abusive in-laws.
