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The Public Diplomacy Blog is intended to stimulate dialog among scholars, researchers, practitioners and professionals from around the world in the public diplomacy sphere. The opinions represented here are the authors' own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the USC Center on Public Diplomacy at the Annenberg School.

HELP EMPOWER THE WOMEN OF AFGHANISTAN
OCT 24, 2007 - 10:52AM PST
Posted by M. Ashraf Haidari
All posts by this author

This article originally appeared on Diplomatic Traffic. The largest defeat of British-Indian forces in the Second Anglo-Afghan War (1878-1880) came through the leadership of a heroic Afghan woman: Malalai of Maiwand. Malalai courageously inspired dejected Afghan troops and carried the Afghan banner into the battle that would end her life. A woman who rose to meet a patriotic duty during troubled times, Malalai reminds us all of the critical role women must play in securing peace and prosperity for Afghanistan. While Afghan women have gained formal political suffrage under Afghanistan's 2004 Constitution, they have yet to secure equality. According to the 2007 Afghanistan Human Development Report, the female population in Afghanistan is beset with low literacy rates, limited economic opportunities, and instances of discrimination and violence. In light of the report, Afghan women are not afforded the respect that the revered Malalai still enjoys more than 100 years after her death. In the two decades before the fall of the Taliban in 2001, continuous civil strife in Afghanistan deprived Afghan women of the opportunity to participate in the political life of the country. Together with children and the elderly, they became victims of unspeakable atrocities. During the Taliban period, any glimmer of hope for the emancipation and empowerment of Afghan women was snuffed out, as they were denied basic human rights, including access to education and freedom of movement. The lack of social and economic freedoms left them marginalized and vulnerable, and a financial burden on an impoverished society. The new government has sought to remedy these abuses through the creation of a Ministry of Woman Affairs and an Independent Human Rights Commission. However, attention to women's issues is often overshadowed by other pressing concerns, such as security and the narcotics trade. Simply establishing institutions dedicated to gender sensitivity and tolerance does not ensure gender equality. As the Afghan government recognizes, attention to women's issues across all government bodies and aid delivery organizations must be established. Accordingly, the government has prepared a National Action Plan for the Women of Afghanistan, which will provide a comprehensive, cross-ministerial approach to improving the condition of women. Without popular support, however, this laudable effort cannot be effectively implemented. Sadly, the very brave individuals who speak out on behalf of vulnerable populations in Afghanistan are targeted by insurgency and extremist groups. As Shukria Barakzai, Member of Parliament from Kabul province, recently lamented: "When I leave home these days for work, I am not quite sure whether I will be back [alive]." The persecution of these individuals fighting for Afghanistan's progress is partly driven by Afghanistan's male-dominant, conservative culture. Achieving gender equality will therefore require a fundamental change in Afghan societal norms and perceptions, over many generations. Intensified education efforts at the village level can advance this long-term transition in Afghan culture and teach the equality of all Afghans under the law. Also, with half of the population under the age of 18, there exists a youth and vitality in the population that is conducive to…... FULL TEXT
 
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