[women-rights] Chairperson CEDAW says new Afghan constitution heralds era of progress

UN WOMEN'S RIGHTS EXPERT SAYS NEW AFGHAN CONSTITUTION HERALDS ERA OF PROGRESS
New York, Jan  8 2004  1:00PM

Hailing the recent adoption of a Constitution for Afghanistan, the head of
a United Nations women's rights committee today said the charter marks the
beginning of a new era of gender equality in the country.

The Afghan Constitution, adopted on Sunday, explicitly guarantees that men
and women have equal rights and duties before the law. "This is a
significant victory for women and girls in Afghanistan who barely three
years ago were completely excluded from all spheres of life and faced
systematic violations of their human rights on a daily basis," said Feride
Acar, the Chairperson of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination
against Women.

By promoting gender equality, the Constitution will serve as a "vital
starting point" for the country's transformation, she said, because it
"legitimizes the important role played by women and girls in Afghanistan in
reshaping their future and in rebuilding their country."

Afghanistan is a party to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of
Discrimination against Women. Ms. Acar, whose committee monitors compliance
with that treaty, pledged today to work for its "full and effective
implementation" in Afghanistan.

"As we celebrate the dawn of a new era for Afghanistan, I congratulate the
Afghan people, and especially its women, for this incredible achievement,"
she said.

Until the Taliban regime was toppled, Afghan women faced a number of severe
restrictions, including prohibitions on schooling and employment.



---
The "women-rights" mailing list provides information on issues related
to women's human rights. Archives of "women-rights" messages, as well
as instructions on how to (un)subscribe to the list, can be found at:
http://www.hrea.org/lists/women-rights/markup/maillist.php