UNIFEM support for women in Afghanistan

Progress for Women Is Progress for All

UNIFEM has been engaged in Afghanistan since 2002 and is running its largest country programme there, supporting women to participate in social, economic and political processes. There is a particular focus on ensuring that a gender perspective is integrated into all aspects of Afghanistan's legal and judicial reform. UNIFEM also assists the Ministry of Women's Affairs to build the capacity of its staff and to take the lead in ensuring that women's needs are addressed throughout the Afghan government.

International Women’s Day in Afghanistan

At 10am on 8th March women across Afghanistan came together for a Prayer for Peace with Justice on International Women’s Day. This was supported by radio messages, broadcast throughout the day, from prominent women and men in the regions and from the international community, including UNIFEM Executive Director Inés Alberdi. Prayer gatherings took place in Kandahar, Bamyan, Kabul, Herat, Mazar, Daikundi and Jalalabad. The women wore scarves whose blue colour matches that of the burka, the garment widely regarded as a symbol of women’s oppression under the Taliban regime.

"The women in Afghanistan deliberately chose this colour to call attention to the need to look beyond the burka towards a future where women's contribution to society is fully acknowledged," says Wenny Kusuma, UNIFEM country director in Afghanistan. "The situation for women in Afghanistan is very mixed. There are achievements to point to at the institutional level, such as the Constitution which stipulates gender equality, but the situation on the ground is not matched by the progress on paper," she adds. “In particular, we see with ever-growing concern a return to public acceptance of violence against women that is not addressed by the current legal system." It is estimated that 87% of women in Afghanistan are subjected to domestic violence.

"Afghan women are tired of being subject to egregious acts of violence, they are tired of watching their family and friends being killed, and they refuse to accept the pervasive political, cultural and economic violence that they face on a daily basis, both at home and in their pursuit to participate in public life," says Rangina Hamidi, a women's rights and peace activist in Kandahar.

Afghan women speak of challenges and hopes

On 5th March at the United Nations HQ in New York UNIFEM hosted a panel discussion, co-sponsored by the Afghanistan Permanent Mission to the UN, as part of the 53rd session of the Commission on the Status of Women. Three Afghan advocates for women’s rights spoke of the multiple challenges facing women and girls in the country.

Eight years after the fall of the Taliban regime, the panellists highlighted the persistent insecurity, political complexities and gaps between policy and practice in the war-ravaged country. Surveys have shown that the majority of the nation supports the principle of equal rights and opportunities for men and women. But hard-won gains are undermined by the volatile security situation. The Permanent Representative of Afghanistan to the UN, Zahir Tanin, said there was indeed political will to improve the position of women, but the increase in violence meant that they were, as always, the first victims. He identified insecurity is the greatest threat to Afghan women and expressed the hope that the international community would continue to work with the Afghan authorities to improve the situation.

Wazhma Frogh, Country Director for Global Rights Afghanistan, has worked with both national civil society groups and international agencies. She noted that the voices of Afghan women were rarely heard in the international press. “From the fall of the Taliban in 2001, there have been some achievements for women, but eight years later we still face great obstacles. Despite international presence and an improved legal framework, real progress has been slow, and we ask ourselves why.” Ms Frogh said that officials and representatives had paid lip service to women’s issues but that women themselves had been largely excluded from actual policy making, economic planning and peace talks. “Women want to take part in peace negotiations, but we are told that for security reasons, we are better off staying at home. But that is not the case; we are already dying. And I would much rather die as a minister than at home!” she remarked.

Suraya Pakzad was married at the age of 14 and is a mother of six children. She founded the Voice of Women Organization (VWO) in 1998 and began to teach women and girls how to read in groups across Afghanistan. VWO now runs a range of projects that support disadvantaged and oppressed women. Ms Pakzad’s work has placed her in danger as she provides direct protection for women and girls and advocates for their rights. She said the ongoing conflict was the main cause of the rise in violence against women in the public and private spheres, and stressed that long term commitments, including a drive to increase women’s literacy and health, were needed to achieve a permanent improvement.

Najia Zewari, Gender and Justice Unit Manager of the UNIFEM Afghanistan Country Programme, has worked for over 20 years in the field of women’s rights in Afghanistan. Her focus has been on the impact of customary practices on women, as well as on women’s political participation. She shared the story of an eleven year old girl, who became a victim of kidnap and rape but was utterly let down by the law enforcement system. Even though the girl was only eleven years old, the case was handled as one of adultery and remained unsolved. Ms. Zewari echoed the need for women and girls to enjoy security in their daily lives and real access to justice, in order to be able to exercise their rights and freedom.

• Home
• About us
• Projects
• Events
• Branches
• Contacts
• How YOU can help
• Links

© Copyright 2006 UNIFEM UK

UNIFEM UK – United Kingdom National Committee for UNIFEM

Registered Charity Number 1035828

• Terms and conditions of use
• Privacy policy
• Accessibility policy