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May 2013 VOLUME 8 u WOMEN AND ACTIVISTS DEMAND AN APPROVED EVAW LAW ...................... 1

u VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN ACT MODIFICATION SPARKS FUROR IN AFGHANISTAN .... 2

u AFGHAN LAWMAKERS BLOCK LAW ON WOMEN'S RIGHTS.........................2 & 3

Afghan Womenews Digest

Jalal Foundation

The only newsletter that presents the realities of Afghan women’s lives as captured by local newspapers.

Women And Activists Demand An Approved EVAW Law

A  group  of  civil  society  and  women  rights  activists  put  up  demonstrations  demanding  an  immediate  approval  of  the  Elimination  of  Violence  against  Women  (EVAW)  Law  on  Monday.      The  activists  gathered  in  front  of  the  National  Assembly  and  said  that  none  of  the  articles  in  the  Law  is  against  the  Islamic  Sharia  Law.  They  emphasized  that  this  Law  has  to  be  approved  by  the  Lower  House  without  any  amendment  and  at  the  earliest.      On  the  other  hand,  the  Women  Commission  of  the  Lower  House  said  that  the  Law  will  be  drafted  again  in  consultation  with  the  religious  scholars.      Tamana  Hila,  a  women  rights  activist  said,  "We  seek  the  approval  of  EVAW  Law  

Afghan lawmakers block law on women's rights KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Conservative religious lawmakers in Afghanistan blocked legislation aimed at strengthening provisions for women's freedoms, arguing that parts of it violate Islamic principles and encourage disobedience. The fierce opposition highlights how tenuous women's rights remain a dozen years after the ouster of the hard-line Taliban regime, whose strict interpretation of Islam once kept Afghan women virtual prisoners in their homes. (Continue to page 2)

without  any  amendment.  This  law  is  in  no  way  violating  the  Islamic  Sharia  Law.  In  fact,  some  of  the  MPs  don't  even  have  proper  knowledge  about  the  Law."    Nilofar  Mehdi,  a  civil  society  activist  said,  "The  MPs  should  not  keep  any  political  vendetta  behind  the  EVAW  Law.  We  demand  that  the  Lower  House  should  approve  the  Law."      Meanwhile,  the  Women  Commission  of  the  Lower  House  said  that  this  Law  was  not  approved  because  there  were  differences  in  opinion  among  the  MPs  over  certain  provisions  in  the  Law.  And,  efforts  are  being  made  to  get  the  Law  approved.      Fawzia  Kofi,  Head  of  the  Women  Commission  of  the  Lower  House  said,  "Even  though  there  were  differences  in  opinion  among  the  MPs  on  the  Law,  we  intend  to  table  it  again  in  consultation  with  the  religious  scholars  and  get  it  approved."    

   Samiha  Sadat,  member  of  the  Lower  House  said,  "We  are  against  those  provisions  of  the  Law  which  are  in  violation  of  the  Islamic  Sharia  Law.  We  will  try  to  remove  all  the  objectionable  provisions  in  the  Law  and  get  it  approved  soon."      The  civil  society  activists  emphasized  that  if  some  circles  within  the  Parliament  misuse  this  law  for  their  personal  interests  and  ignore  women’s  rights,  the  country  will  witness  an  increase  in  violence  against  women.      

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Violence against women Act modification sparks furor in Afghanistan . Farukhdan  Zahra  Naderi  said,  

“Apparently  a  number  of  the  political  circles  are  looking  to  play  with  the  achievements  of  the  Afghan  women  which  they  have  gained  during  the  past  ten  years.  However,  the  violence  against  women  Act  has  been  passed  and  is  implementable  which  is  being  used  by  judiciary  institutions.”      She  said,  “The  Afghan  Parliament  should  include  other  important  Acts  in  their  working  agenda  including  higher  studies  Act  which  is  vital  for  the  Afghan  people  rather  than  focusing  on  violence  against  women  Act.”      “The  inclusion  of  violence  against  women  Act  in  the  working  agenda  of  the  Afghan  Parliament  risks  the  modification  of  important  articles  of  the  Act  which  has  sparked  concerns  among  the  civil  society  officials  specifically  human  rights  commission  and  other  womens’  rights  activists,”  Naderi  said.      Afghan  lawmaker  representing  Badakhshan  province  of  Afghanistan,  Dr.  Nelofar  Ibrahimi  also  called  the  modification  of  violence  against  women  Act  a  political  deal  and  urged  the  Afghan  government  to  implement  the  Act.    Ibrahimi  said,  “The  violence  

A  number  of  civil  society  organizations  including  independent  human  rights  commission  of  Afghanistan  expressed  concerns  for  modifying  the  violence  against  women  act.      According  to  reports,  modification  of  violence  against  women  Act  has  been  mysteriously  and  secretly  included  in  the  working  agenda  of  the  House  of  Representatives,  which  has  sparked  furors  and  concerns  among  the  women’s  rights  activists  and  members  of  the  civilian  society  organizations.      A  group  of  the  civilian  society  members  including  members  of  the  human  rights  commission  also  visited  Afghan  Parliament  to  express  their  concerns  in  this  regard.      The  delegation  urged  Afghan  lawmakers  to  remove  modification  of  violence  against  women  Act  from  their  working  agenda.      An  official  speaking  on  the  condition  of  anonymity  said,  “a  number  of  the  political  figures  and  parties  are  looking  to  modify  the  main  articles  of  the  violence  against  women  act.”      In  the  meantime,  Afghan  lawmaker  and  women  rights  activist  Farkhunda  Zahra  Naderi  insisted  that  the  violence  against  women  Act  has  been  enforced  and  must  be  implemented.    

against  women  Act  is  comprised  of  articles  which  are  vital  for  the  Act,  which  is  not  acceptable  for  a  society  dominated  by  men.  If  the  main  article  of  the  Act  is  not  approved  then  it  will  become  useless  and  ineffective.”      The  modification  of  violence  against  women  Act  was  included  in  the  working  agenda  of  the  Afghan  Parliament  earlier.  However,  it  was  later  removed  after  the  interference  of  civil  society  and  a  number  of  Afghan  lawmakers.      The  violence  against  women  Act  was  approved  by  Afghan  President  Hamid  Karzai  in  2009,  which  bans  violence  against  women,  premature  marriages,  sale  and  purchase  of  girls  and  any  kind  of  severe  harm  to  women  that  would  led  them  to  commit  suicide.      

Afghan lawmakers block law on women's rights

. …  (cont.  fr  page  1)  Khalil  Ahmad  Shaheedzada,  a  conservative  lawmaker  for  Herat  province,  said  the  legislation  was  withdrawn  shortly  after  being  introduced  in  Parliament  because  of  an  uproar  by  religious  parties  who  said  parts  of  the  law  are  un-­‐Islamic.  "Whatever  is  against  Islamic  law,  we  don't  even  need  to  speak  about  it,"  Shaheedzada  said.      The  Law  on  Elimination  of  Violence  against  Women  has  been  in  effect  since  2009,  but  only  by  presidential  decree.  It  is  being  brought  before  Parliament  now  because  lawmaker  Fawzia  Kofi,  a  women's  rights  activist,  wants  to  cement  it  with  a  parliamentary  vote  to  prevent  its  potential  reversal  by  any  future  president  who  might  be  tempted  to  repeal  it  to  satisfy  hard-­‐line  religious  parties.    

The  law  criminalizes,  among  other  things,  child  marriage  and  forced  marriage,  and  bans  "baad,"  the  traditional  practice  of  exchanging  girls  and  women  to  settle  disputes.  It  makes  domestic  violence  a  crime  punishable  by  up  to  three  years  in  prison  and  specifies  that  rape  victims  should  not  face  criminal  charges  for  fornication  or  adultery.      Kofi,  who  plans  to  run  for  president  in  next  year's  elections,  said  she  was  disappointed  because  among  those  who  oppose  upgrading  the  law  from  presidential  decree  to  legislation  passed  by  Parliament  are  women.      Afghanistan's  parliament  has  more  than  60  female  lawmakers,  mostly  due  to  constitutional  provisions  reserving  certain  seats  for  women.  Neli  suggested  that  removing  the  custom  —  common  in  Afghanistan  —  of  prosecuting  raped  women  for  adultery  would  lead  to  social  chaos,  with  women  freely  engaging  in  extramarital  sex  safe  in  the  knowledge  they  could  claim  rape  if  caught.      For  five  years,  the  regime  banned  women  from  working  and  going  to  school,  or  even  leaving  home  without  a  male  relative.  In  public,  all  women  were  forced  wear  a  head-­‐to-­‐toe  burqa,  which  covers  even  the  face  with  a  mesh  panel.  Violators  were  publicly  flogged  or  executed.  Since  the  U.S.-­‐led  invasion  in  2001,  women's  freedoms  have  improved  vastly,  but  Afghanistan  remains  a  deeply  conservative  culture,  especially  in  rural  areas.      Saturday's  failure  of  the  legislation  in  Parliament  reflected  the  power  of  religious  parties  but  changed  little  on  the  ground,  since  the  decree  is  still  the  law  of  the  land,  however  loosely  enforced.  Kofi  said  the  Parliament  decided  to  send  the  legislation  to  committee,  and  it  could  come  to  a  vote  again  later  this  year.      

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Effort to Strengthen an Afghan Law on Women May Backfire

KABUL,  Afghanistan  -­‐  Even  with  some  legal  protections  in  place,  Afghan  women,  and  sometimes  even  little  girls,  can  be  sold  to  pay  family  debts.  In  the  country’s  vast  rural  areas,  just  talking  to  a  man  who  is  not  a  close  relative  can  be  punishable  by  death.  And  in  some  places,  girls  are  routinely  married  at  puberty.      And  now,  preserving  any  protections  long-­‐term  appears  to  be  in  question,  as  the  country’s  tiny  women’s  rights  movement  faces  an  unenviable  decision:  leave  intact  the  only  law  that  attempts  to  halt  such  abuses,  or  continue  to  present  changes  to  Parliament  and  run  the  risk  that  a  growing  conservative  bloc  could  dismantle  the  law  entirely.    The  quandary  became  evident  on  Saturday,  when  a  bid  to  add  more  robust  protections  was  rapidly  withdrawn  in  Parliament  after  stinging  rebukes.  Angry  mullahs  and  conservatives  who  never  supported  the  law  in  the  first  place  complained  that  it  and  the  proposed  revisions  were  un-­‐Islamic  and  asked  who  could  better  decide  than  they  who  and  when  their  daughters  should  marry.      Some  women  in  Parliament  were  not  supportive  either,  citing  the  

measure’s  backing  of  shelters  for  battered  women.  Many  Afghans  believe  shelters  are  little  better  than  brothels  and  tarnish  a  girl’s  reputation.      To  cut  off  the  onslaught,  the  proposal  was  sent  back  to  committee,  its  future  uncertain.      The  push  to  bring  up  the  law  in  Parliament  has  split  the  small  group  of  Afghan  women’s  rights  advocates.  Despite  fears  of  the  conservatives,  some  argued  that  quick  action  had  to  be  taken  before  the  exit  of  the  United  States,  which,  along  with  the  European  Union,  has  championed  better  lives  and  protections  for  Afghan  women.      The  drive  to  amend  the  law  was  led  by  one  of  Afghanistan’s  more  visible  champions  for  women’s  issues:  Fawzia  Koofi,  a  determined,  ambitious  woman  who  gained  a  seat  in  Parliament  in  2005  and  in  2010,  survived  an  attempt  on  her  life  by  gunmen  thought  to  be  Taliban.      Ms.  Koofi  is  a  somewhat  controversial  figure.  Closely  allied  with  the  predominantly  Tajik  former  

Northern  Alliance  faction  in  Parliament,  she  has  sometimes  been  criticized  as  pursuing  policies  for  her  own  political  gain.  However,  she  insisted  that  her  motivation  to  amend  the  women’s  law  was  to  help  solidify  it,  though  not  all  supporters  of  women’s  rights  here  agree.      Ms.  Koofi  said  the  proposed  changes  would  allow  the  government  to  prosecute  cases  of  abuse  even  when  the  woman  who  had  been  abused  withdrew  her  claim.  Women  frequently  come  under  family  pressure  to  drop  complaints  of  domestic  violence.      Ms.  Koofi  said  she  also  added  a  provision  prohibiting  sexual  harassment,  calling  it  increasingly  pervasive  as  more  women  go  to  work  in  offices.  And,  she  said,  she  included  a  provision  to  require  men  to  pay  women  child  support  if  they  leave  them  or  take  other  wives.  No  written  version  of  the  amendments  was  publicly  available,  so  it  was  difficult  to  verify  their  contents  or  wording.      

Afghan female rock fest triumphs, but anxiety over future looms

KABUL  (Reuters)  -­‐  More  than  400  Afghan  women  and  girls  jumped  from  their  seats,  screaming  and  even  head  banging  to  rock  and  rap  music  at  an  all-­‐female  music  festival  in  the  capital  of  Kabul,  which  organizers  say  was  the  largest  such  event  in  the  country's  history.      It  may  also  be  one  of  the  last.  In  ultra-­‐conservative  Afghanistan,  women's  rights  remain  precarious.    Afghan  women  have  won  back  hard-­‐fought  rights  such  as  education  and  work  since  the  Islamist  Taliban  was  toppled  12  years  ago,  but  there  are  fears  these  freedoms  could  shrink  once  NATO-­‐led  forces  withdraw  

from  Afghanistan  by  the  end  of  next  year,  ending  their  fight  against  a  Taliban-­‐led  insurgency  that  began  in  late  2001.      Afghan  women  have  won  back  hard-­‐fought  rights  such  as  education  and  work  since  the  Islamist  Taliban  was  toppled  12  years  ago,  but  there  are  fears  these  freedoms  could  shrink  once  NATO-­‐led  forces  withdraw  from  Afghanistan  by  the  end  of  next  year,  ending  their  fight  against  a  Taliban-­‐led  insurgency  that  began  in  late  2001.      The  rare  women's  day,  part  of  a  multi-­‐day  Sound  Central  concert,  was  held  in  a  city  

concert  hall  on  Tuesday  and  drew  a  boisterous  crowd  -­‐  mostly  teenagers  in  the  high  school  uniform  of  grey  tunic  and  white  hijab,  but  also  abuse  victims  from  shelters  and  even  a  few  grandmothers.      Increasing  insecurity  is  deterring  some  women  from  pursuing  work  outside  the  home,  and  rights  workers  accuse  the  government  of  not  doing  enough  to  safeguard  women  -­‐  claims  that  President  Hamid  Karzai's  administration  denies.  (cont.  in  page  4)    

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…  (cont  from  page  3)  The  women-­‐only  festival  kicked  off  the  4-­‐day  Sound  Central  rock  fest,  now  in  its  third  year,  featuring  acts  by  Afghan-­‐American  singer  Ariana  Delawari  and  Kabul-­‐based  expat  rockers  White  City,  whose  British  lead  singer  Ruth  Owen  sent  the  crowd  into  a  frenzy.      The  number  of  women  attending  the  women's  day  more  than  doubled  from  last  year's  debut  event,  said  its  founder,  Australian  multimedia  producer  Travis  Beard.  He  publicized  the  concert  by  sending  out  fliers  and  teams  of  women  to  schools  to  convince  teachers  and  parents  that  the  festival  would  cause  young  women  no  harm.      "Women's  day  is  the  most  significant  part  of  the  festival.  Just  having  this  kind  of  attendance  for  

the  first  time  in  the  country,  at  a  rock  concert,  is  groundbreaking,"  Beard  said.      As  local  rap  artist  Ramika  took  to  the  stage,  dressed  in  turquoise  leggings  and  an  oversized  t-­‐shirt,  several  wide-­‐eyed  Afghan  soldiers  guarding  the  event  crept  in  to  steal  a  look  at  the  show,  which  only  female  press  members  were  allowed  to  cover.      To  one  side  of  the  audience  sat  a  small,  solemn  group  of  young  women  from  shelters  that  give  refuge  to  abuse  victims,  many  of  whom  have  escaped  violent  homes  and  unhappy  arranged  marriages.  The  unmarked  and  often  hidden  shelters  around  the  country  face  an  uncertain  future,  with  recent  government  attempts  to  bring  them  under  their  control.      Last  year,  Justice  Minister  Habibullah  Ghaleb  called  the  shelters  houses  of  "prostitution  and  immorality",  provoking  a  barrage  of  condemnation  from  Afghan  women.      

Female Afghan journalist win ‘Courage in Journalism’ award

An  Afghan  woman  journalist  is  among  the  three  women  who  have  been  awarded  the  2013  Courage  in  Journalism  Award  from  the  International  Women’s  Media  Foundation  (IWMF).      Najiba  Ayubi,  45,  managing  director  for  The  Killid  Group  in  Afghanistan  has  been  nominated  for  the  award  after  risking  her  life  to  report  the  news.      Ayubi  spent  more  than  a  decade  working  under  anonymous  threats  and  attacks  from  government  entities  for  her  reporting  on  politics  and  women’s  rights.  She  leads  a  team  of  reporters  working  in  print,  broadcast  and  online  media  and  has  refused  calls  for  

censorship.      She  remained  committed  to  her  work  and  rejected  calls  to  limit  her  work  despite  facing  direct  threats  from  many  sources  including  politicians  who  have  sent  gunmen  to  her  home  and  other  aggressors  who  have  vowed  to  harm  her  family.      Najiba  Ayubi  follows  Farida  Nekzad  and  Sharif  Akhlas  and  became  the  third  IWMF  Courage  in  Journalism  Award  winner  from  Afghanistan.      The  other  women  journalists  who  will  receive  the  awards  includes  Bopha  

Phorn,  28,  reporter  for  The  Cambodia  Daily  in  Cambodia  and  Nour  Kelze,  25,  photojournalist  for  Reuters  in  Syria.      The  winners  will  receive  their  awards  during  ceremonies  in  New  York  and  Los  Angeles  which  are  scheduled  to  be  organized  on  October  23  and  October  29  this  year.  The  Courage  in  Journalism  Awards  and  Lifetime  Achievement  Award  will  be  sponsored  by  the  Bank  of  America.    

New  Delhi  -­‐  Moska  Najib  does  not  fit  in  with  any  stereotype  of  an  Afghan  woman.  The  29-­‐year-­‐old  documentary  filmmaker  is  among  the  top  25  shortlisted  for  one  of  the  six  'best  jobs  in  the  world'  —  lifestyle  photographer  in  Melbourne.  She  is  the  only  Afghan  to  beat  600,000  applicants  in  the  race.  If  she  wins  the  job,  she  will  earn  Australian  $100,000  (around  Rs  55  lakh)  in  six  months.      

"An  Afghan  has  a  lot  of  limitations  while  applying  for  a  visa  or  a  contest.  The  minute  you  say  you  are  an  Afghan,  there  are  a  lot  of  queries,  your  background  is  checked.  And,  many  of  these  competitions  are  geared  towards  a  Western  audience,"  says  Moska.      This  was  open  to  all  nationalities.  Moska,  a  former  BBC  journalist,  decided  to  apply.  The  job,  capturing  life  in  the  south-­‐eastern  Australian  state  Victoria  in  photographs,  films  and  writing,  is  exciting.  It  entails  surfing,  skiing,  rappelling,  winemaking  and  researching  penguins  at  Phillip  Island  —  everything  one  fancies  on  an  adventure  

holiday.      Photography  for  Afghan  women,  whose  subservience  is  often  attributed  to  culture,  is  a  challenge.  For  globetrotter  Moska  (Pushtoo  for  muskaan  meaning  smile)  it's  passion.    She  was  recently  in  Kolkata  photographing  Afghans,  called  Kabuliwallas,  in  the  21st  century.  "The  street  in  Kolkata  where  many  of  them  live  looks  like  that  in  Kabul."      While  shooting  in  Kolkata,  she  spotted  the  advertisement  for  the  "best  jobs"  on  Facebook.      In  2009,  the  "Best  Job  in  The  World"  was  for  a  caretaker  of  the  Great  Barrier  Reef  islands.  This  year,  there  are  six  world's  "best  jobs"  —  chief  funster,  outback  adventurer,  park  ranger,  wildlife  caretaker,  lifestyle  photographer  and  taste  master  —  each  with  an  Australian  $100,  000  package  for  six  months.      

Delhi-based Afghan woman shortlisted for 'world's best job'

5

Health Services a Challenge in Ghor

The  central  Ghor  province  local  officials  and  the  Parliamentarians  on  Tuesday  said  that  women  doctors  don't  at  all  exist  in  any  of  the  areas  in  the  province.    The  officials  have  said  that  poor  health  services  especially  for  women  are  quite  alarming.      Ghor  lacks  proper  health  care  centers.  The  centers  which  have  been  built  in  late  years  either  don't  have  medicines  or  equipment  or  doctors.      The  residents  of  Ghor  province  complain  that  the  health  care  centers  are  far  from  residential  villages  where  repeatedly  patients  have  lost  their  lives  while  on  their  

way  to  the  centers.  "Our  village  is  so  far,  we  don't  have  doctors  there,"  a  resident  said.      The  province  includes  women  addicts.  "I  became  an  addict  four  years  back.  I  was  using  tablets  for  two  years  and  after  that  I  started  using  heroin;  now  I  don't  have  even  one  Afghani  to  buy  medicine,"  a  woman  addict  told  TOLOnews.      The  local  officials  blame  the  private  health  centers  which  are  currently  working  remote  areas  of  the  province.      "Sometimes  the  families  don't  allow  the  female  members  to  go  to  the  health  centers  because  the  doctors  are  all  men,"  Provincial  

Parliamentarian  Sima  Joinda  told  TOLOnews.      The  Provincial  Council  Chief  Fazlulhaq  Ihsan  told  TOLOnews,  "A  province  with  such  a  wide  geographical  area  does  not  have  a  single  woman  doctor."      Afghan  Public  Health  Minister  confirms  the  current  health  challenges  inside  the  province  but  stressed  that  challenges  will  be  tackled.      

Afghanistan catching up with the Internet and modern lifestyle

KABUL,  May  20  (Xinhua)  -­‐-­‐  Some  12  years  ago,  it  was  unthinkable  to  have  Internet  cafes  in  Afghanistan.  But  today,  Kabul,  and  some  other  cities  and  towns  in  the  country,  have  Internet  shops  where  Afghans,  especially  students,  can  surf  and  look  for  the  information  that  they  need.      "I  go  the  Internet  cafe  usually  twice  a  week  to  gather  information  about  Afghanistan's  contemporary  history  as  well  as  on  other  topics,  such  as  World  War  II  and  about  Adolf  Hitler,"  Mohammad  Omar,  a  Kabul  University  student,  said.      Although  there  is  a  public  library  in  Kabul,  the  vast  majority  of  students  prefer  to  go  to  Internet  shops  where  they  can  get  the  necessary  information  through  search  engines  without  any  hassle.      Despite  being  a  conservative  country  where  tribalism  is  deeply  rooted,  Afghanistan  has  no  recourse  but  to  move  towards  modernization  and  join  the  computer  age  otherwise  it  will  be  left  behind.      Even  in  Kandahar,  once  the  bailiwick  of  the  Taliban,  there  are  universities,  schools  and  Internet  shops  that  are  open  to  both  men  and  women.      During  the  six-­‐year  Taliban  rule,  which  collapsed  after  the  invasion  of  the  country  by  the  U.S.-­‐led  military  coalition  in  late  2001,  the  Internet  was  banned,  schools  for  girls  were  closed,  and  men  were  forced  to  wear  turban,  sport  beard  and  study  theology.      The  Taliban  also  confined  women  to  their  houses  and  forced  them  to  wear  burqa  whenever  they  come  out  of  their  houses.  They  were  not  allowed  to  walk  in  the  streets  without  male  escorts.      Today,  according  to  officials,  nearly  two  million  Afghans  have  access  to  the  Internet.  Around  22  million  Afghans,  or  some  72  percent  of  the  country's  population,  have  now  access  to  phone  services,  a  tremendous  achievement  that  would  be  unthinkable  a  decade  ago.      Now  parents,  even  in  rural  areas,  are  sending  their  daughters  to  school,  a  practice  that  was  taboo  during  the  brutal  reign  of  the  Taliban.      

80% of Afghan Women have Access to Telecommunication Services: USAID Survey

The  United  States  Agency  for  International  Development  (USAID)  in  a  recently  conducted  survey  found  that  over  80%  of  Afghan  women  have  access  to  telecommunication  services.      USAID  stated  that  a  number  of  women  are  using  telecommunication  services  in  Afghanistan.      USAID's  survey  on  the  use  of  information  technology  and  telecommunication  services  in  Afghanistan,  especially  cell  phones  showed  that  only  20%  of  Afghan  women  didn't  have  access  to  the  services  due  to  poverty  and  family  restrictions.      "The  challenge  that  we  have  set,  still  remains.  But  I  am  convinced  that  we  all  have  worked  together;  and  if  everybody-­‐  the  private  sector,  the  Government  and  the  international  community  work  towards  a  common  goal,  we  will  be  successful.  Most  importantly,  the  Afghan  people  will  benefit  from  our  efforts.  I  would  like  to  thank  the  World  Bank  for  everything  it  has  done  in  this  area,"  Hilda  M.  Arellano,  Coordinating  Director  for  Development  and  Economic  Affairs  (CDDEA)  said.      Meanwhile,  high  price  of  telecommunication  services,  low  quality  of  services  and  pesky  phone  calls  are  some  of  the  problems  that  have  been  mentioned  in  the  survey.      The  Ministry  of  Communications  and  Information  Technology  has  warned  those  who  make  pesky  phone  calls  and  disturb  women.  The  Ministry  added  that  it  will  soon  come  out  with  a  policy  to  overcome  the  problem.      "Any  woman  facing  the  issue  of  pesky  calls  can  file  a  complaint  with  the  Afghanistan  Telecommunication  Regulatory  Authority  (ATRA).  ATRA  informs  the  Ministry  and  we  block  the  SIM  card  of  the  pesky  caller,"  Amirzai  Sangin,  Minister  of  Communications  and  Information  Technology  said.      Even  though  lot  of  investments  have  been  made  over  the  past  11  years  in  developing  the  telecommunication  services,  majority  of  the  Afghans  are  unhappy  with  the  internet  services  in  the  country.    

6

Despite Taliban Threats, Afghan Women Want to be Educated

KANDAHAR,  Afghanistan,  May  21  (Xinhua)  -­‐-­‐  Despite  Taliban  threat  and  intimidation,  more  and  more  women  in  the  southern  Kandahar  province,  the  erstwhile  spiritual  capital  of  the  Taliban,  have  gone  to  school  and  get  involved  in  social  activities.      "Afghan  women  have  realized  that  education  is  power.  It  is  the  key  to  succeed.  Education  changes  the  living  conditions  and  the  future  of  women.  We  have  been  living  in  a  state  of  conflict  and  instability  for  three  decades  and  it  is  time  for  us  to  get  educated,"  Spina,  18,  told  Xinhua  in  a  recent  interview  in  Kandahar  city,  the  provincial  capital  of  Kandahar  province,  which  is  some  450  km  south  of  Kabul.      Domestic  violence,  security  problems  and  tribal  traditions  in  parts  of  the  conservative  Afghanistan  often  bar  girls  to  attend  school  or  to  get  higher  education.      "The  uncertain  security  and  intimidation  make  difficult  to  have  equitable  access  to  good  quality  education  especially  for  girls.  But  despite  these  conditions,  I  attend  a  literacy  class  every  day,  "said  Spina,  who,  like  most  Afghans  has  only  one  name,  has  also  been  a  victim  of  violence  against  women.    

 Spina  said  that  shortly  after  she  got  married,  her  mother-­‐in-­‐  law  began  accusing  her  of  not  doing  her  household  chores.  She  was  also  maltreated  and  this  has  ultimately  led  to  her  divorce  and  now  she  is  living  with  her  parents  again.  Spina's  father,  according  to  her,  had  paid  more  than  2,000  U.S.  dollars  to  her  in-­‐laws  so  that  they  will  agree  to  sign  her  divorce  papers.      "If  my  husband's  family  were  educated  people,  they  would  not  have  mistreated  me,"  Spina  said.  Up  to  now,  the  militant  Taliban  is  still  active  in  Kandahar.  The  fanatical  group  emerged  in  1994  and  disappeared  in  late  2001  following  the  U.S.-­‐led  military  campaign  in  Afghanistan.      

During  its  rule,  the  Taliban  had  barred  girls  from  schooling  and  confined  women  to  their  houses.    The  Afghanistan  Women  Foundation,  a  non-­‐government  body  supporting  women  rights  in  the  conflict  ridden  country,  runs  literacy  courses  for  women,  besides  setting  up  several  handicraft  and  tailoring  classes  in  Kandahar  and  adjoining  provinces.  Some  8.4  million  students,  39  percent  of  them  girls,  now  go  to  school  in  the  post-­‐Taliban  Afghanistan,  according  to  officials.      Kandahar  has  also  experienced  acid  attacks  on  school  girls.  In  November  2008  three  female  students  were  attacked  and  their  faces  disfigured.      

In Afghanistan, businesswomen must seek

a delicate balance

         KABUL,  Afghanistan  -­‐  Roya  Mahboob  navigates  the  potholes  of  doing  business  in  Afghanistan  like  any  other  entrepreneur.  Corruption  is  rife.  Kidnappings  are  common.  Bomb  blasts  remain  an  overarching  reality.      But  as  the  female  chief  executive  of  a  thriving  software  firm  in  Afghanistan's  male-­‐dominated  society,  Mahboob  finds  that  her  potholes  sometimes  feel  like  sinkholes.      Banks  have  balked  at  lending  her  money  simply  because  she  is  a  woman.  Anonymous  emails  and  text  messages  have  warned  her  to  abandon  her  work.  One  ominous  missive  came  on  crumpled  paper  wrapped  around  a  rock  and  thrown  into  her  front  yard.  It  said:  "You're  a  bad  girl.  When  you  head  outside,  you'd  better  be  careful."      "It's  been  very  difficult  for  us,"  says  Mahboob,  a  diminutive  25-­‐year-­‐old  with  a  soft  voice  that  nonetheless  comes  across  as  firm  and  unhesitant.  "When  we  first  went  to  talk  to  businessmen,  they  treated  us  very  badly.                                                                                                                              They  couldn't  believe  that  women  could  be  technical-­‐minded.  They'd  make  jokes  about  us.  When  they  smiled,  their  smile  told  us  that  they  didn't  think  we  could  do  the  job."    

 Afghanistan  has  made  meaningful  strides  in  women's  rights  since  the  Taliban's  rule  ended  more  than  a  decade  ago.  Back  then,  women  were  barred  from  going  to  school  and  could  not  leave  home  without  being  escorted  by  a  male  relative.      Now,  nearly  3  million  girls  go  to  school.  Women  are  forging  careers  in  medicine,  law  and  business.  In  the  Parliament's  lower  chamber,  69  of  249  members  are  women.  But  mistreatment  is  still  prevalent,  particularly  in  villages  and  rural  areas,  where  some  girls  are  sold  to  settle  disputes  and  child  marriages  remain  common.      In  Afghanistan's  business  world,  chauvinism  takes  a  different  shape.  Male  colleagues  bristle  at  the  thought  of  a  woman  competing  alongside  them  or  winning  a  contract  they  sought.      Afghan  businesswomen  have  to  strike  a  delicate  balance:  They  must  be  visible  enough  to  nurture  new  connections  and  customers  but  not  to  the  extent  that  they  land  on  the  Taliban's  hit  list.    "Most  successful  businesswomen  here,  they  prefer  to  be  in  the  background,"  Mahboob  says.  "We  still  have  Taliban  here,  and  we're  afraid  of  them.  If  we're  too  visible  and  too  many  people  are  talking  about  you,  maybe  you  will  be  more  successful  —  but  maybe  you'll  have  more  trouble."  So  Mahboob  takes  measured  steps  through  Afghanistan's  male-­‐dominated  business  world.  She  rarely  grants  

interviews  to  Afghan  television,  radio  or  newspapers.  She  maintains  three  offices:  one  in  her  home  city  of  Herat  in  western  Afghanistan,  another  in  New  York  City  and  a  third  in  a  small,  two-­‐story  building  in  Kabul  tucked  away  in  a  maze  of  rutted  dirt  lanes  far  from  the  Afghan  capital's  main  thoroughfares.      She  used  to  change  her  cellphone  number  each  month  as  a  precaution  but  has  abandoned  the  tactic  because  she  lost  customers.  Despite  the  hurdles,  Mahboob  has,  in  less  than  three  years,  turned  her  software  start-­‐up  —  launched  with  four  workers  and  $10,000  borrowed  from  relatives  —  into  a  multimedia  moneymaker  with  pending  projects  valued  at  more  than  $1  million.      Her  company,  Afghan  Citadel  Services,  operates  information  technology  centers  in  schools  in  western  Afghanistan,  runs  an  online  documentary  channel  that  attracts  as  many  as  3  million  viewers  a  month,  sells  casual  wear  online  and  even  owns  10%  of  a  local  professional  soccer  team.      

7

   

STATEMENT  OF  JALAL  FOUNDATION  ON  THE    PLANNED  REPEAL  OF  EVAW  LAW  BY  PARLIAMENT  

                 

 

KEEP  THE  EVAL  AS  IT  IS!    NO  TO  REPEAL  OR  AMENDMENT  BY  PARLIAMENT!    

 The  initial  debates  of  the  Parliament  on  the  Elimination  of  Violence  against  Women  Law  (EVAL)  provide  a  clear  picture  of  the  political  ideologies  that  dominate  our  law  making  bodies  and  policy  system.    Clearly,  we  are  ruled  by  people  who  have  no  respect  for  women’s  rights  and  do  not  care  about  the  lives  and  well-­‐‑being  of  half  of  our  country’s  citizens.  In  their  minds,  women  are  non-­‐‑entities  who  do  not  matter  and  whose  fate  lies  solely  in  the  hands  of  men.    The  dynamics  of  the  debates  represent  a  preview  of  what  we,  Afghan  women,  are  now  facing.  The  grips  of  extremism  are  now  blatantly  showing  force  at  the  highest  levels  of  decision  making.  They  are  opposing  the  very  provisions  of  EVAL  that  are  core  to  the  protection  of  women  and  their  rights.    Clearly,  they  want  to  put  us  back  to  where  we  were  during  the  Taliban  times.  It  is  open  season  once  again  on  Afghan  women’s  oppression,  gender  based  violence,  and  denial  of  women’s  rights.    These  people  will  not  stop  until  we  lose  every  space  that  we  gained  during  the  past  decade.    But  we  do  not  need  to  remain  silent  and  helpless.  Sisters  and  brothers,  supporters  of  peace,  democracy  and  human  rights,  we  cannot  afford  to  lose  our  hard  fought  gains.  How  many  human  rights  activists  and  women  leaders  lost  their  lives  during  the  past  decade  to  defend  the  modest  gains  that  we  now  have?  Shall  we  allow  their  heroic  sacrifices  to  go  to  waste  by  not  doing  anything  while  we  still  can?        More  than  ever,  we  need  to  bind  together  as  one.    Let  us  organize  a  mammoth  campaign  to  oppose  the  butchering  of  women’s  rights  in  the  halls  of  the  Parliament.    Everyone  can  do  something,  and  every  little  effort  counts:          

• Organize  a  dialogue  with  your  Parliamentary  representatives.    They  need  to  hear  your  resistance  to  the  adverse  positions  being  taken  by  them  in  relation  to  the  provisions  of  the  EVAL.  They  are  in  Parliament  not  to  represent  their  own  concerns  but  to  be  the  voice  of  the  people.  They  owe  it  to  us  to  make  our  voice  heard  in  the  debate  on  policies  that  are  crucial  to  our  lives.    

• Put  down  your  statements  in  writing  and  send  them  through  all  possible  channels  –  to  the  Parliamentarians,  media,  social  networks,  international  community,  donors,  regional  bodies,  community  leaders,  institutions,  etc.  Let  your  voices  be  circulated  as  widely  as  possible  in  the  loudest  and  most  compelling  way!    

• Organize  non-­‐‑violent  protests.  Wear  violet  ribbons  on  your  sleeves  as  a  sign  of  resistance  to  any  amendment  or  repeal  of  the  EVAL.    Initiate  coordinated  noise  barrage  at  specific  times  of  the  day.    Pass  text  messages  supporting  a  “No  Repeal,  No  Amendment”  campaign  for  EVAL.      

• Identify  the  Parliamentarians  and  politicians  that  espouse  pro-­‐‑extremist  positions  and  peacefully  but  forcefully  campaign  against  them  in  every  possible  way.      

• Make  women’s  rights  an  election  issue.  List  down  the  names  of  politicians  and  incumbent  Parliamentarians  who  trample  upon  women’s  rights  and  do  not  represent  our  voice,  then  campaign  against  them  when  they  run  for  the  upcoming  election.  Our  vote  is  our  power  and  we  need  to  use  it  intelligently  now,  more  than  ever.  

• Never  stop!  This  law  is  a  must  to  the  protection  of  Afghan  women’s  rights  and  well  being.    Put  it  on  top  of  your  priority  by  constantly  speaking  about  its  importance  and  merit.        

The  EVAW  Law  which  they  now  call  EVAL  is  never  anti-­‐‑Islamic.  It  has  passed  the  legal  scrutiny  of  national  and  international  experts  on  Islam  and  Shariah.    It  also  underwent  nearly  five  years  of  debate  and  consensus  building  following  democratic  principles.      Let  us  not  allow  uneducated  minds  to  dictate  what  is  Shariah  and  Islamic  in  this  part  of  the  world.  We  owe  it  to  our  country  and  our  people  to  have  enlightened  views  and  to  resist  the  misuse  of  Islam  to  foment  oppression  and  tyranny.    Let  us  claim  back  our  future  by  doing  what  we  can  do  right  now!  Oppose  the  repeal  and  amendment  of  the  EVAL!!!!        

 

8

EDITORIAL EVAW  Law:  Listen  to  What  Women  Want!  

 The  presence  of  women  in  the  Parliament  has  been  one  of  the  hard-­‐fought  victories  of  the  past  decade.  At  one  point  in  time,  Afghanistan  ranked  28th  in  the  world  in  terms  of  countries  with  highest  female  representation  in  the  Parliament.  We  fought  for  women’s  representation  in  the  Parliament  to  protect  the  interests  of  women  and  serve  as  their  voice  in  the  highest  levels  of  policy  and  decision  making.      However,  what  we  are  experiencing  today  is  a  sad  and  alarming  backlash.  Women  who  led  the  effort  to  subject  the  EVAW  law  to  Legislative  deliberations  are  not  there  to  represent  the  voice  and  protect  the  interests  of  women.  They  are  there  as  puppets  of  the  fundamentalist  ideology  that  is  making  a  comeback  to  our  society.  They  are  there  for  their  own  personal  and  political  interests.  If  they  want  to  be  famous,  they  should  not  do  so  by  betraying  half  of  Afghan’s  population  who  are  counting  on  their  representation  and  support.  By  subjecting  the  EVAW  law  to  a  new  level  of  scrutiny  in  an  un-­‐informed  and  predominantly  fundamentalist  Parliament,  these  women  have  offered  women’s  rights  to  be  butchered.  It  is  an  arena  where  women’s  rights  could  never  win.  The  process  is  divisive  and  politically  counter-­‐productive  to  women.        The  women  who  resist  the  filing  of  the  EVAW  law  for  discussion  in  the  Parliament  are  the  ones  who  truly  stand  for  women’s  rights.  They  are  the  ones  who  know  the  real  issues.  They  are  the  ones  who  respect  the  tremendous  efforts  exerted  by  women  and  their  supporters  for  over  four  years  (2005-­‐2009)  in  order  to  get  this  law  signed  into  a  decree.  They  know  that  all  the  provisions  of  this  Law  that  are  now  being  interpreted  to  be  un-­‐Islamic  have  already  been  threshed  out,  subjected  to  debates,  and  for  which  reason,  consensus  among  opposing  parties  had  already  been  built.        Yet,  we  cannot  just  sit  down  and  complain  while  the  rights  of  women  are  being  butchered  by  our  leaders  and  law  makers.  More  than  ever,  this  is  the  time  for  us  to  remain  solid,  vigilant  and  active  in  protecting  the  gains  of  our  years  of  work  to  win  back  our  rightful  place  in  this  society.  Presently,  we  see  the  fundamentalist  forces  pushing  women  back  to  where  they  were  during  the  regime  of  the  Taliban.  This  is  something  that  we  should  never  allow  to  happen.      Today,  we  should  revive  the  links  that  we  had  established,  nationally  and  internationally,  to  mount  a  massive  campaign  against  the  resurgence  of  fundamentalism  and  their  assault  to  the  rights  of  people,  especially  women  and  girls.    We  need  to  keep  on  reaching  out  to  our  international  sisters  to  make  them  aware  of  the  situation  of  women  in  this  part  of  the  world.    Set  up  blogs,  post  pictures  in  your  Facebook  pages,  send  emails,  and  do  whatever  you  can  to  continue  asking  for  help  to  fight  for  the  rights  of  Afghan  women.  Many  of  them  –  organizations  and  professionals  –  invested  some  years  of  their  life  to  help  this  country  in  the  recent  past.  They  will  not  allow  their  investments  to  simply  go  down  the  drain.    To  national  women’s  machineries,  women’s  organizations,  human  rights  agencies,  social  and  political  activists,  lovers  of  democracy  and  peace,  we  urge  you  to  prevent  fundamentalism  from  growing  roots  in  any  part  of  the  world,  including  in  Afghanistan.    The  fundamentalism  that  now  starts  to  reign  in  this  country  could  never  be  confined  within  our  borders.  It  is  like  a  slow,  invisible  fire  that  will  soon  be  in  your  front  yards,  taking  a  grip  at  the  lives  of  your  children  and  the  many  generations  to  come.    It  seeks  to  overthrow  democracy,  take  away  people’s  rights,  and  sow  terror  in  the  hearts  of  the  people  –  a  real  monster  that  no  country  would  ever  want  to  have.  Join  us.  Act  now  before  it  is  too  late.  

JALAL FOUNDATION

No. 8, Butcher Street, Kabul City, Afghanistan Tel. nos. +93 781 174 520 and +93 752 028 766

Contents    

Women  And  Activists  Demand  An  Approved  EVAW  Law  TOLOnews.com  By  Rafi  Sediqi  27  May  2013    Proposed  law  to  protect  Afghan  women  faces  backlash  The  Washington  Post  By  Pamela  Constable  May  25,  2013      80%  of  Afghan  Women  Have  Access  To  Telecommunication  Services:  USAID  Survey    TOLOnews.com  By  Zabiulah  Jahanmal  23  May  2013    In  Afghanistan,  businesswomen  must  seek  a  delicate  balance  Los  Angeles  Times  By  Alex  Rodriguez  May  23,  2013    Despite  Taliban  threats,  Afghan  women  in  Kandahar  want  to  get  educated    by  Farid  Behbud      Afghanistan  catching  up  with  the  Internet  and  modern  lifestyle    By  Abdul  Haleem      Effort  to  Strengthen  an  Afghan  Law  on  Women  May  Backfire  New  York  Times  By  ALISSA  J.  RUBIN  May  18,  2013    Violence  against  women  act  modification  sparks  furor  in  Afghanistan    By  MIRWAIS  ADEEL  -­‐  17  May  2013,  2:44  pm  Khaama  Press    Health  Services  a  Challenge  in  Ghor    TOLOnews.com  By  Jawed  Stanikzai  15  May  2013    Delhi-­‐based  Afghan  woman  shortlisted  for  'world's  best  job'  The  Times  of  India  By  Rakhi  Chakrabarty  May  5,  2013    Afghan  female  rock  fest  triumphs,  but  anxiety  over  future  looms  By  Amie  Ferris-­‐Rotman    

Disclaimer: Afghan Women News Digest is a compilation of publicly accessible articles on the Web in the form of a link or saved news item. The news articles are protected under international copyright laws. All credit goes to the original respective source(s). The editorial is a responsibility of Jalal Foundation.