Afghan women break tradition, join April 5 elections

Original Source:http://www.nation.com.pk/international/22-Mar-2014/afghan-women-break-tradition-join-april-5-elections

KABUL- Pictures of female candidates on the walls of the Afghan capital city alongside male contenders in the April 5, 2014 general elections speak volumes on the country's transition from the iron-clad rule of the Taliban more than 13 years ago.

Scores of female politicians, some of them pretty enough to be beauty queens, are now openly campaigning for seats in the provincial councils or assemblies thus elevating the status of Afghan women in the traditionally patriarchal society. These young and ambitious female contenders, in full beauty make-up, along with elderly women candidates, have come up with promising mottoes such as "equity, justice and social welfare" for all Afghans regardless of gender and stations in life. They urged all Afghans to use their right of suffrage in next month's presidential and provincial councils' elections.

Afghanistan is a country of traditions and tribal customs. Many Afghans, especially those living in the rural areas, are against women participation in social activities including politics, even opposing education for girls. "Learning from the past experiences plus today's efforts for the rights of women can guarantee a better future for Afghan women," one female candidate for the Kabul Provincial Council said in her campaign poster.

Although there is no female candidate for president, there are two women vying for the position of vice president. "We believe in act and not in empty word," says a slogan written below the photo of Habiba Qaderi, a candidate for a seat in the Provincial Council in Kabul. The slogan - "The knight of your demands" - in a billboard with the photo of woman candidate Shukiba Saifi Kamal has drawn the attention of voters in the capital city. Khatera Ishaqzai is another female candidate for a seat in Kabul's Provincial Council. In her campaign posters, she is promising to "ensure justice, human rights and women rights" for all.

Because of security problems, most women candidates are limiting their campaign sorties in the capital since campaigning in the rural areas could pose danger to their lives. The militant Taliban has openly threatened to disrupt the election process, even saying that they would kill candidates who will join the election as well as their supporters. The Taliban has said that the election is another ploy of the U.S. to continue its stranglehold of Afghanistan.

The Taliban threat has prompted male and female candidates to call on the government to provide them with security escorts, especially during the campaign and on the election day. A statement posted on the Taliban website last week ordered its fighters to target election workers, election sites and security escorts given to candidates. At least a dozen election workers have been killed since the start of the election campaign on Feburary 2, 2014. In a latest attack on a police station in Jalalabad city, eastern Afghanistan, on Thursday for which the Taliban claimed responsibility, 18 people including 10 police were killed and 15 others sustained injuries.

Beyond Malalai: Give Afghan Women a Chance

Original Source:http://stsfor.org/content/beyond-malalai-give-afghan-women-chance

The US and NATO withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan in 2014 and its likely outcome have garnered global attention in the past few months. Whether Afghanistan will strive towards maintaining internal and external security or relapse into another long-drawn conflict remains a lurking question. Since much of the discourse in the past few years has been replete with issues of women’s safety and empowerment in Afghanistan it is imperative to sieve through the rich legacy of powerful women in Afghanistan who have assumed leadership roles both in the ancient and contemporary settings. These facts are however meagrely documented in the history books. As the West would like us to believe, the conditions for women in Afghanistan have not always been dismal and oppressive until they suffered a backlash during the Taliban regime, which was most likely sponsored by the major global players.

The pre-Aryan history establishes the existence of many matriarchal societies in the region, the remnants of which are still found in certain tribes in Afghanistan as also in parts of Kerala and Northeast India where women enjoyed power within their communities. Similarly, the legendary poet and Afghan warrior Malalai who had fought along with Ayub Khan and defeated the British in the Battle of Maiwand in 1880 has been slowly vanishing from the pages of history. Goharshad Begum had played a very important role in moving the Timurid capital from Samarkand to Herat and is also said to have started a cultural renaissance in the region by inviting illustrious philosophers and artists from around the world. Contemporary figures like Shukria Barakzai who is labelled as the “woman who the Taliban and the NATO fear” and Malalai Joya who is known as “the bravest woman in the world” for speaking out strongly against the American occupation in Afghanistan also go on to prove that women have been more than just ‘victims’ in the Afghan society.

Considerable efforts have been made in the direction of women’s empowerment in Afghanistan; however a much-coveted space for women to prove their mettle still remains a distant dream. India has shared rich cultural ties with the region in the past and is home to a large number of Afghan migrants. Since stability of Afghanistan also falls under the purview of India’s strategic interests, it should make concerted efforts towards reviving and fortifying pillars of economic and internal security in the region. It is an accepted fact that a strong and educated woman goes on to affect her immediate family and the larger community in the longer run. For India, it would prove to be a low cost investment to award 5,000 scholarships to Afghan women every year in the field of science, technology, military training, horticulture, social sciences, history, and agriculture at a monthly allowance of Rs 10,000. These women could stay in India for a period of two to three years to learn the required skills and later work towards strengthening the legal, political and economic structures in Afghanistan.

The induction of women in the Afghan national army and police forces was a welcome step but their sustainability remains a concern. India could open up avenues to organise training programmes for Afghan women alongside women from the Indian Army and police forces in order to equip them with the kind of skills required to strengthen internal security in the region. On the other hand, it is also imperative for the Afghan forces to recruit more women for their internal security operations, since women are likely to be impacted by the Taliban hardliners. Equipping the women to protect themselves and their communities is the need of the hour. Currently there are only 1,551 female police officers in Afghanistan, which is just one for 10,000 women in the war-torn country.

Improving communication channels is another area of concern. India along with its booming media is also home to various successful and talented female journalists. Training programmes could be organised for the Afghan women on a mentor-protégé basis to help them knit stories that concern their society. In fact, a medium like CGNET Swara, which is currently being operated in the tribal belt of India, could well be replicated in the rural hinterlands of Afghanistan where computer and internet have not yet penetrated

Afghanistan is yet to establish an Afghan Women’s Commission; The National Commission for Women in India could play an integral role in lending its expertise to facilitate the process. India has made significant strides in improving women’s participation in local governance or Panchayat level.  Many Afghan women are already members in the Parliament with a few even aspiring for the Presidential elections in the year 2014. Interactions can be facilitated for Afghan women who are aspiring to participate in public affairs with the women Panchayats in India to learn about the challenges and best practices at the local level.

Since several women in Afghanistan are also involved in handicrafts and agriculture, a model like that of SEWA (Self Employed Women Association) will help several women gain financial stability. Simultaneously, health and sanitation programmes can be organised through these forums since these issues have a direct bearing on women and children.

Afghan women entrepreneurs are already looking towards India for business opportunities. India can perhaps play an integral role in fostering security in its neighbourhood by providing women with the opportunities that would facilitate growth and stability.  Afghanistan has had a rich legacy of women involved in the resistance movements against those who have lacerated their region with violence and extremism. The likes of Malala have already risen against the Taliban, and the clock is still ticking.

Women's Role in Rebuilding Afghanistan: What India can do

Original Source: http://www.claws.in/Women%27s-Role-in-Rebuilding-Afghanistan-What-India-Can-Do-Pratibha-Singh.html

The determination shown by MalalaYousufzai, a young Pakistani girlto receive an education, despite the brutal assault on her by the Taliban has garnered global support for women’s rights. In her recent speech at the UN, Malala’s statement that“one teacher, one book, one pen can change the world” has reverberated across the world and exemplifies the faith that Taliban induced fear cannot suppress the voice of millions of women desirous of seeking an education. Education, especially of women, acts as a counter to the ideologically regressive and conservative policies of radical Islamists who declare that anything to do with women’s rights is un-Islamic. In Afghanistan, as we move closer to the drawdown of US forces in Afghanistan in 2014, perhaps a focus on female literacy along with other initiatives can lead to a diminishing of Taliban influence in the lives of the people and contribute to a more durable peace.

Shukria Barakzai,an Afghan politician, journalist and entrepreneur, and a prominent Muslim feminist labelled as the “woman who the Taliban and NATO Fear”, is currently a Member of Parliament in Afghanistan and a probable contender for President in the 2014 elections.She talks of growing up in a pre-Taliban Afghanistan “playing football,volleyball,writing adolescent fiction and eventually choosing to study physics” and how the situation turned worse during the Taliban occupation where she was flogged on the streets when found without a male escort.“Most people think of Afghani women as victims,” she says, “victims of violence, of forced marriages, of terrible rates of maternal mortality.  Well, this is all very true. But it is also true that countless women, smart and beautiful and brave, will not bow their heads and will not be victims anymore.” This sentiment needs support to ensure a durable peace in war torn Afghanistan.

However, the mindless imposition of “rights” can also prove to be a failure when not in consonance with the cultural fabric of the society. Women's rights have been central to the war in Afghanistan. When Cherie Blair and Laura Bush joined forces to bolster the rationale for invasion back in 2001, the West developed a passionate concern for the position of women in the country.There were films, books and documentaries about the high rates of maternal mortality, girls being married off young and low levels of female literacy. There was an assumption that it only required an invasion for women to spontaneously rise up and throw off their burqas.However, change has proved slower than expected. A major achievement however has been in education where over 2 million girls attend school, although there is still a high dropout rate and the numbers going on to secondary school are small. Nevertheless, the fact is that the conservative nature of rural Afghanistan has not changed fundamentally. Despite the colossal aid to Afghanistan over the past decade, the impact on the entrenched attitudes shaping women's lives has been minimal. More intervention in the field of education is required and could be a potential game changer.

Foreign pressure ensured that the constitution and the country's legal system enshrined women's rights, but the reality is very different. There are only a handful of female judges and even when women do have the courage to take a case to the police, they face entrenched discrimination.While women’s empowerment is the need of the hour, its gender dimensions need to be addressed. Positive change will follow with a gendered inclusive approach considering that many Afghan women still cannot step out of the house without permission from a male member in the family.[1]

India can play a considerable role in providing sustainable solutions to Afghanistan’s growth story by promoting women’s empowerment. An educated, self-sufficient woman goes on to affect her family, community and a nation as a whole in a positive manner. To tap into this field will further enhance India’s standing in Afghanistan as well as strengthen relations between the two countries.So far,India has invested 2 billion dollars in rebuilding Afghanistan’s infrastructure,health, transport, communications, enabled cultural exchanges and so on but investing in human capital, keeping women as the focus could lead to long lasting impact. 

A project scheme containing numerous modules ranging from education, health, governance, skill and capacity building could be proposed to the locals keeping in mind the cultural contours of Afghanistan. A holistic developmental model can only be realised if both men and women are educated about its outcomes. Programmesfor Afghan women, conducted in both Afghanistan and India, and explained through audio-visual training workshops in their own language could prove useful in empowering Afghan women. As a follow up intervention, sponsoring and training of two to three thousand Afghan women in India every year on sponsorship in specific disciplines could help in empowering women and changing attitudes within the country. With respect to the 2 billion dollar aid India has already provided, this would prove to be a low cost investment with a potential to yield better results. Training programmes could cover the following:

Education

Five hundred scholarships are already been given out to Afghan students by the Indian Council of Cultural Relations. At least fifty per cent of these should be reserved for women. An effort to bring awareness about disciplines like women and gender studies, political science, good governance, technology, medicine etc. amongst women will broaden their range of options, which they can apply in their respective fields.A Horyan, an Afghan woman studying zoology at the University of Pune says that Taliban rule subverted women’s education but now some families are encouraging and supporting their choice to go abroad and work. She intends to go back and teach in Afghanistan while citing the dearth of professors in her own country.

Governance

Afghanistan is still to have an Afghan Women’s commission to secure rights of women within the country. The National Commission for women in India could play a pivotal role in lending their expertise and providing training to future women leaders of Afghanistan. Training modules should also be prepared to facilitate interaction with women leaders at the Panchayat level to encourage women’s participation at the local government level in Afghanistan. Fellowships could be organised for women to engage with Parliamentarians, which will sensitise them towards various facets of governance mechanisms.

Health and Sanitation

Under the Small Development Project Scheme, India has built basic health clinics in the border provinces of Badakshan, Balkh, Kandahar, Khost, Nangarhar, Nimroz, Nooristan, Paktia and Paktika. It would perhaps be a more sustainable model if women from the community are imparted training in health care, child nutrition etc. In the last few years, the maternal mortality rate has gone down from nine per cent to two per cent because of better infrastructure and awareness amongst women regarding better health care.One woman impacts the whole community, therefore hygiene and sanitation training for women from the poverty stricken areas will help curb diseases emanating from unhygienic conditions.

Capacity Building

A large number of rural women in Afghanistan rely on informal economic sectors like basket weaving, knitting, food processing, handicrafts and agriculture. These women could be trained to replicate community livelihood projects(self-help groups) on the lines of SEWA[i]. Forums like Dastkaar[ii]can play an instrumental role in expanding the market outreach for women’s artisans establishing a continuous source of income and at the same time providing a platform to enhance their skills in producing handicrafts.

Conclusion

Indian intervention to assist in empowerment of Afghan women, keeping in mind their cultural backgrounds could yield long-term dividends. Women empowerment will have a direct bearing on community life in Afghanistan. One woman has the potential to change many lives.While it is clear that the Pashtun culture is still regressive in its approach towards women’s rights, need based opportunities created for women will definitely lead to positive response. After all, Afghanistan has given to the world several indomitable women, one of them being Malalai Joya, known as the “bravest woman in the world” for her courage to speak up against the warlords in the Afghan Parliament.

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[1] http://www.guardian.co.uk/global-development/poverty-matters/2011/sep/26/afghanistan-women-what-went-wrong

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[i] Self Employed Women’s Association

[ii]http://www.dastkar.org/organisationalmap.htm

Afghanistan : Roar of the Lionesses

Published on CLAWS Web, 08/01/2013


War torn Afghanistan is also plagued by terrorism, drug trafficking and warlords who have left the social and political structure of the country in shambles. The proposed drawdown of US and ISAF troops in 2014 has generated great speculation on the likely repercussions on the Afghanistan government and security forces and the possible return of the Taliban and the ripple effect that this could have on other countries. Women in Afghanistan have been the worst sufferers of violence and are generally perceived as the ‘victims’. However, despite the myriad problems faced by them and the innumerable hurdles placed in their path by a conservative society, many women have emerged to rekindle the flame of freedom and fight for a respectable place for women and fellow citizens in Afghanistan.

Shukria Barakzai is one of them. She has emerged as one of the most powerful women in Afghanistan, also labelled as “the woman who the Taliban and NATO fear”. Currently serving as a Member of Parliament, she aspires to run for the presidential elections in 2014. Barakzai was one of the many Afghanis who chose to stay back and fight for the rights of their fellow citizens when the Taliban took over in the year 1996. She was whipped by pro-Taliban elements on the streets when a male escort was found missing. This kind of abject treatment meted out to her further toughened her desire to run an underground school to promote girl’s education, a very challenging step under the shadow of Taliban fear. One of the first magazines which championed for women’s rights in Afghanistan called Aine-e Azaan (Women’s mirror) was started by her and has gained popularity amongst women who are starting to become aware about  their rights, superstitions and  laws which  often work against women’s empowerment and in several ways dehumanise them.

One of the biggest achievements in her political career was her election as the President of the Defence Committee which she describes as a “hundred per cent man’s job”. It also led to the resignation of Defence Minister Abdul Rahim Wardack who could not accept working under a woman. Barakzai also had the opportunity to be a part of a Committee which was designated to write a new constitution for the country where her task was to ensure that women’s perspective and rights are taken into account while framing laws and policies.She has been endorsed with many awards like the International Editor of the Year award by World Press Organisation in 2005 and has been ranked amongst the 100 most powerful women in the world.

Similarly Malalai Joya, was expelled from the Parliament for her courage to speak up against widespread corruption amongst warlords, drug lords and various politicians. Ranked as the “bravest Woman in the world” by BBC she has openly criticised the US for the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan citing that they had come to her country to “help themselves”. She claims that no country can aspire to be independent with US base on its grounds.  “Raising My voice” was her autobiographical attempt which was later published in US/Canada in the name of “A woman among warlords’. She lives in hiding after encountering several brutal attacks at the hands of Taliban.

Women who challenge the ingrained stereotypes which indirectly promote misogyny and narrow down possibilities for them to voice their concerns against such cultural practices are rendered “unacceptable” and often severely punished or even executed. Aisha, who gained prominence after she posed for a controversial picture in Times Magazine, was brutally attacked because she tried to flee from her abusive in-laws. Her nose and ears were cut off by her relatives.

The worsening situation in Afghanistan catalysed the process of migration to neighbouring countries. Susan Firooz, a 23 year old rapper and an Afghan refugee in Iran, highlights the plight of her citizens under the regime of warlords. She cites, “if you walk in Iran you will face engineers and doctors, but in Afghanistan you will face drug addicts, kidnappers and terrorists, it’s all a gift from our neighbouring countries.”

Women have started to reclaim social and political spaces they were deprived off in the Taliban regime; they are more aware about their rights, educational and health facilities. However it becomes mandatory to also bring the laws in their favour because women who challenge age old traditions are still seen as a threat. Fawzia Koofi, a Member of Parliament who also wishes to run for Presidential elections in 2014 is fighting for a law that criminalises violence against women. She has been accused of promoting “western values”.

Afghanistan’s strive towards a long lasting peace and democracy should not be undermined. Towards this end, it is essential that women are involved in the decision making process and peace negotiating tables so that a decade’s achievement of democracy, human and women’s rights does not fizzle out. There is a lack of clarity on the roles and responsibilities of High Peace Council (HPC) and Afghanistan Peace and Reintegration Programme. Nomination of Maulvi Qalamuddin, one of the most notorious hardliners in the Taliban regime whose policies incited violence against women if they behaved in an “inappropriate fashion”, into HPC has raised concerns. He claims that Taliban has transformed and has grown more accepting towards technology and women in public spaces provided they “behave themselves”. It is indefinite whether this statement signifies actual transformation or just opportunism.

Dr. Sima Samar, former Vice President of Afghanistan and Minister of Women’s Affairs mentioned, “People have already experienced Taliban and know their mentality. Especially the young people and the women are able to exercise their rights now.  We had one TV channel when the Taliban took over, now we have 30-40 TV channels, over 400 radio stations, and there are a lot of changes. Taliban supporters are politically and financially weakened”.

Many women in Afghanistan are charged with a fiery spirit to reform their society which has fractured under decades of violence. They have given men their chance to promote peace, but now perhaps it is time that they step in and ensure that they too be included in the nation building process. As Barakzai has very rightly said, “Democracy cannot be airdropped together with troops of marines. So the first step towards a truly dependent Afghanistan is to remind the people of their self-esteem and give them self-confidence. This is a major challenge. I’m ready for it”.