Afghan Women Demand Greater Protection

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Afghan Women Demand Greater Protection from Government
Four Afghan women's groups came together to demand greater protection from violence against women in a demonstration on Thursday. The demonstration is a response to the recent murder of Safia Amajan, the provincial director of the Ministry of Women’s Affairs for Kandahar and women’s rights crusader. The four groups participating in the demonstration presented a 13-point outline of changes they would like to see within the Afghan government, including: bodyguards and drivers for officials, quick and effective prosecution for terrorists, better pay for police, remuneration for families of terror victims, and international aid for “the root causes of social insecurity and terrorism,” according to Dzeno Association, a Czech Republic newswire.

“This murder of Safia Amajan shows that those fighting against freedom and democracy in Afghanistan are committed to removing women from public life as they are seen as an obstacle to achieving their goals…. The Government and International community must support, protect and encourage women’s full participation and just efforts in all aspects of public life,” said the open letter to President Hamid Karzai released by the Afghan Women's Network, Agency Coordination Body for Afghan Relief, Afghan Civil Society Forum, and the Foundation for Culture and Civil Society.

Violence against women in Afghanistan, especially under the Taliban, is widespread. The Feminist Majority is working to pass the Afghan Women's Empowerment Act, which provides funding for women-led non-profits, the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, and the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission. It is anticipated that Congress will take up the Act when it returns after the November 7 election.

[glow=red,2,300]TAKE ACTION Urge your Senators and Representative to pass the Afghan Women’s Empowerment Act; petition online at the below url [/glow]

www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizationsORG/feministmajority/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=5290&t=template2.dwt

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I am writing to urge you to take immediate action to protect the rights and lives of Afghan women and girls. Just yesterday, the Provincial Director of the Afghan Ministry of Women’s Affairs in Kandahar was gunned down in front of her home as she left for work. She was opening girls’ schools and advocating for women’s rights. The murder of Safia Ama Jan has been claimed by the Taliban. This is not an isolated case. Girls’ schools and teachers are under daily attack. Schools are closing and parents are keeping their daughters home out of fear. In five districts of Kandahar, where Ama Jan was killed, all girls’ schools are now closed and half the girls’ schools in the four southern provinces (states) of Afghanistan are closed.


Please act now to:
-Increase international peacekeeping forces throughout Afghanistan to provide adequate security;
-Pass the Afghan Women’s Empowerment Act of 2006 to provide funding for the Afghan Ministry of Women’s Affairs, the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission and Afghan women-led NGOs; and
-Provide adequate funding for reconstruction.

[glow=red,2,300]We all celebrated when Afghan girls returned to school. Now we cannot stand by and watch as schools are destroyed, teachers killed, and Afghan women and girls slip back to Taliban rule[/glow].