Rethink Afghanistan – Liberation of Women

Lana Slezic Photography

“Now, the cases of violence against women are more than the Taliban time…there are twenty-three rape cases in two months in North Afghanistan” (Member of Rawa, The Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan).

The false mythology that Afghan women were liberated in the war against the Taliban is confirmed by more than one source in Rethink Afghanistan, including Orzala Ashraf (Afghan Women’s Network), Kavita Ramdas (President & CEO, Global Fund for Women) and Ann Jones (Author, Kabul in Winter).

At the Red Cross orthopedic centre, Lana Slezic (Kabul, 2004)

Over the years, Afghan women have been victimized in one too many ways; rape, abduction of young girls and the use of acid to discourage women from seeking knowledge in schools have become the bread and water of Taliban men, who still lay undefeated. It didn’t come as a surprise, when President Hamid Karzai recently signed a law governing women’s rights, which according to the UN legalized rape in marriage.

Referring to Faisal Ahmad Shinwari (Chief Justice, Supreme Court of Afghanistan), Ann Jones remarks,

“He said women have two equal rights under the constitution, number one every woman has the right to obey her husband and two every woman has the right to pray, though not in the mosque, which is reserved to men”

What has spurred the uprising of these inhumane fundamentalists?

Taliban today are the successors of the fundamentalist extremist men, Mujahideen who gained power during the war against the The Soviet Union during the Cold War in the late 1970s. Reflecting back, Sonali Kolhatkar, Co-Director of Afghan Women’s Mission states in Rethink Afghanistan, “this was the beginning and end of women’s rights in Afghanistan”.

“When they were in power from 1992 to 1996, they abducted women, killed women, raped women, forced marriages…” (Fahima Vorgetts, Director, Afghan Women’s Fund)

Has the situation improved since the Global War on Terror?

“The situation for women today…is actually worse than it was during the Taliban time…today the same situation persists…they are kept in burqas and in their homes away from education and on top of that they are also living in war zones…and women suffer disproportionately effects of war…they actually wish the Taliban were back in power …at least they were kept free from bombs and house raids” (Anand Gopal, Afghanistan Correspondent, The Wall Street Journal)

When war dawned upon Afghanistan, countless Afghan women were forced into prostitution after their husbands were killed. The increased militarization within society has only worsened conditions for women who are now left alone in a war zone.

What are the objectives of the Global War on Terror in Afghanistan?

Women rights are definitely off the list; Afghan women continue to suffer today as they did yesterday.

“If they really want to help our people, we don’t need more soldiers” (Member of Rawa, The Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan).

“I don’t believe and I don’t expect anyone outside to come and liberate me, if I cannot liberate myself no one from outside can liberate me” Orzala Ashraf (Afghan Women’s Network)

Lana Slezic Photography

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