[women-rights] Afghanistan: Women under attack for asserting rights

On Eve of Elections, Women in Public Life Face Attacks and Intimidation

(Kabul, October 5, 2004)—Warlords and the Taliban are undermining Afghan
women's participation in the political process through ongoing threats and
attacks, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. Widespread
intimidation of women and general insecurity threaten women's right to
vote freely in the October 9 presidential elections, stand for political
office and fully participate in public life.

The 39-page report, "Between Hope and Fear: Intimidation and Threats
Against Women in Public Life in Afghanistan," [
http://hrw.org/backgrounder/asia/afghanistan1004/ ] details how warlord
factions, the Taliban and various insurgent groups attack and harass women
government officials, election workers, journalists and women's rights
activists.

A pervasive atmosphere of fear persists for women involved in politics and
women's rights in Afghanistan, despite significant improvements in women's
lives since the fall of the Taliban in late 2001. A women's rights
activist threatened in a northern province told Human Rights Watch: "They
called me on my mobile, saying, 'You are doing things you should not. We
will kill you as an example to other women.'"

"Many Afghan women risk their safety if they participate in public life,"
said LaShawn R. Jefferson, executive director of the Women's Rights
Division of Human Rights Watch. "The Bush administration is particularly
proud of the progress women have made. But Afghan women themselves say
their hopes for even basic rights have gone unfulfilled."

The October 9 presidential elections will be a key test of women's ability
to participate in the Afghan public sphere on an equal basis with men. An
important sign of progress has been the large numbers of women registered
to vote in many parts of the country. But multiple registrations have
inflated official election figures, which state that 41 percent of the
10.5 million registered Afghan voters are women. Near the Pakistan border,
continuing insecurity due to insurgents has contributed to women
comprising less than 10 percent of registered voters in southern Zabul and
Uruzgan provinces.

The failure of international donor countries—including the United States
and Germany—to send promised funds on time and bolster security may
adversely affect women's participation on election day. The months leading
up to the election have been punctuated with violence. So far, at least 12
election workers have been killed—at least three of whom were women—and
dozens injured. Failing to enlist the thousands of female poll workers
needed, election officials have resorted in some places to staffing female
polling stations with local male elders.

The report describes how women are targeted for challenging women's
traditional roles in society. Women journalists, activists and government
officials have reported death threats, harassment and attacks for speaking
out about sensitive women's rights issues such as divorce. Through
intimidation and armed attacks, local warlord factions, the Taliban and
other insurgent forces have forced the closure of women's development
projects, which provide desperately needed education, health, rights
awareness and job training to women and girls.

"Since the ousting of the Taliban, women's lives in Afghanistan have
undoubtedly improved," said Jefferson. "But now it's the warlords who are
actively trying to keep women from exercising their rights."

Under ongoing conditions of insecurity, women cannot fully participate in
the reconstruction of Afghanistan without risking their safety. Many fear
retaliation and restrict their speech and activities accordingly. Scores
of women's rights activists told Human Rights Watch that the failure to
disarm local militias has gravely endangered and slowed progress for
women's rights.

Parliamentary elections planned for next year will present even greater
challenges for women. Human Rights Watch interviewed dozens of potential
women parliamentary candidates who believe they and their families will be
in danger if they decide to run. One women's rights activist told Human
Rights Watch, "I don't think I should run for parliament…. [The warlords']
men will come at night and make problems for my family, so it's not
possible. I have to sit quiet."

The United States, NATO and other international actors should take
immediate and decisive steps to fulfill their commitments to promote
women's rights in Afghanistan. Countries involved in Afghanistan,
including NATO member states, should vastly increase their troop
contributions to the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), Human
Rights Watch said.

Moreover, the United States and its NATO allies should refocus the mandate
of international security forces toward disarming militias and protecting
targeted groups such as women and independent political actors. The Afghan
authorities should fully investigate threats, harassment and attacks
against Afghan women, and they must prosecute the perpetrators.

Select personal accounts featured in the report:

* "So many women wanted to make organizations for women's rights. When
they saw the threats, they left the work." — a women's rights activist in
Mazar-e Sharif.
* "Women cannot present themselves as candidates. In Kabul it is OK, but
in other provinces, security is not good. If there are security problems,
maybe armed men will come to their houses, and maybe they will be killed."
— a potential parliamentary candidate
* A local armed militia sent us "warnings and threats, they said they
would kill us. The health educator and literary teacher faced many
threats, and they decided not to come to the center. The governor promised
to do his best to reopen the center and to talk to the mullahs. He could
not give us any guarantees for our safety. We are still waiting for the
security situation to improve."— an aid worker who was involved in a
women's rights center closed due to threats

In a report released on September 28, "The Rule of the Gun," Human Rights
Watch described how local military factions threaten the population and
create an environment of political repression.

Human Rights Watch Press release


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