[women-rights] International Women's Day - The situation of women in Afghanistan

Strasbourg, 07.03.2002 - Joint Statement of the Committee on Women's Rights
and Equal Opportunities of the European Parliament and the Committee on
Equal Opportunities for Women and Men of the Parliamentary Assembly of the
Council of Europe (8 March 2002):

Women and girls in Afghanistan have been victims of massive and systematic
violations of their most basic human rights. These violations have been
committed in total impunity, by different sides in the conflict, and in
particular by the Taliban regime.

Now, when the transitional government has been created, the international
community should insist on the accountability for the human rights abuses
committed during the civil war, under the Taliban regime and during the time
leading up to the fall of this regime. Those responsible for violations of
women's human rights should be prevented from participating in transitional
government as well as all branches of country's administration and they
should bear full responsibility for the abuses they have committed.

The international community and the transitional government must ensure an
immediate and substantial improvement of the situation of women in the
country, in line with the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of
All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. Women should be fully integrated
in the post-conflict reconstruction of the society as active participants
and also as decision-makers in the new government. They should obtain
freedom of movement, equal access to work and health care.

Any international humanitarian assistance should take full account of its
gender impact and include specific aid programming for women and girls in
urban as well as in rural areas. A substantial part of the total aid budget
should be used for projects leading to or relating to improving and
advancing the situation of women and girls.

The Committees support the recommendations of the Bonn meeting of the
leaders of the G8 countries addressing all participants of the Afghan
political process to establish laws guaranteeing women's rights to
education, free expression, mobility, employment, and health care, and for
ending of discriminatory treatment of women. They also welcome the European
Parliament recommendation to nominate a UN Rapporteur for gender equality to
monitor the transition government's compliance with their undertakings
concerning women during the transition and reconstruction process in
Afghanistan. The Rapporteur could draw from the experience with
Ombudspersons for women affairs in some European countries, and with other
equality bodies, and could be a part of a future Independent Human Rights
Commission.

./..


The Committees propose the creation of a Special Observers Group who's task
will be to focus on the policies and activities of the Afghan Government in
terms of respecting women's fundamental rights as laid down in international
conventions and treaties. The Group should ensure that international aid and
rehabilitation policies and programmes take due account of gender interests.
Its findings should be presented on a six-month basis to the European
Parliament, the Council of Europe and the Human Rights Commission of the
United Nations. The Group should be composed of persons with a high degree
of gender policies expertise from the European Parliament, the Council of
Europe, the United Nations and NGO's. It should coordinate its work with the
above-mentioned proposed UN-Rapporteur for gender equality, should she/he be
nominated.

The Committees call on the Special Independent Commission for the Convening
of the Emergency Loya Jirga to ensure that a significant number of women
will be represented at Loya Jirga and that this representation will include
civil society organisations such as the Revolutionary Association of the
Women of Afghanistan (RAWA), the oldest women's humanitarian and political
organisation in Afghanistan, and others.

The new government, with the assistance of the international community, must
provide girls and women with a free access to education. The rate of
illiteracy among girls in Afghanistan is now 90 percent. UNESCO estimates
that as few as 3 percent of Afghan girls receive some form of primary
education. The task of the international organisations will be to implement
special education programmes for girls and women in Afghanistan.

However, we are aware that the realisation of educational programmes for
girls and women will be possible only under a condition of the ensuring of
life security and elementary means of existence, especially adequate
nutrition and health care.

Women should have a guaranteed access to the media, giving them a
possibility to publicly present their views on the society. The
international and national media should be encouraged to raise international
awareness on the problems faced by Afghan women and give unbiased portrayal
of the situation in Afghanistan.

The Committee on Women's Rights and Equal Opportunities of the European
Parliament and the Committee on Equal Opportunities for Women and Men of
the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe propose that the
International women's Day 8 March 2002 be declared "Afghan Women's Day" and
all international institutions organise special manifestations on this
occasion.


Contact : Parliamentary Assembly Communication Unit,
Tel. +33 3 88 41 33 35 ; Fax +33 3 90 21 41 34 ; E-mail :
estelle.steiner@coe.int