Throughout Afghanistan's history, negotiations over women's status andrights in Afghan society have occurred largely in the context of politicalstruggles to take power or to hold on to power. We can see from PresidentKarzai's recent authorization of the Shiite Personal Status Law--a movepleasing to a conservative minority with whom he was unpopular--that forwomen, very little has changed about this tradition in Afghanistan. Thelaw is currently under review by the state's Ministry of Justice, butremains a worrying precedent and a palpable threat to the advancement ofgender equality and justice in Afghanistan. If upheld, the measure willsubject women of the Shia minority to restricted movement, mandatorymarital sex, limited ability to seek work, pursue an education or visit thedoctor without their husbands' permission and special regulation on matterslike inheritance.
Women's rights in Afghanistan must be preserved and protected. No action should be taken that further exaggerates the problem Women for Women International Afghanistan Country Director Sweeta Noori calls the "two Afghanistans": one in Kabul where women's rights are preserved as women gain more access to social, economic and political opportunities, and another where socially excluded and rural women are subject to a different set of rights and laws that restrict their socioeconomic development and often endanger their lives and violate their human rights. Issues like forced marriage, self-immolation and honor crimes are still very real issues in this Afghanistan, and they threaten not only individual women but the ability of the nation as a whole to achieve stability, security and development, all of which are intimately interlinked.
Over 16 years working with women survivors of war has taught me thatwomen's wellbeing is the bellwether of society. Restrictions on women'smobility and personal autonomy are detrimental not just at the householdand community levels, but to a peaceful and stable Afghanistan as well. Thequality of life of a nation's women correlates directly with how thesociety fares overall--where women suffer, it is only a matter of timebefore entire communities are at risk. When women thrive across all sectorsof society--including education and the economy--all of society benefits.
Any blueprint for sustainable peace risks failure without united, local-and national- level efforts to enact gender-equitable policies thatdismantle--not construct--obstacles preventing women's full participationin society. In a recent survey of 1500 Afghan women, Women for WomenInternational found that the central government is believed to be moreengaged on women's issues than local leadership. If the national governmentas a model rolls back women's rights, this hard-fought trust in centralgovernment will be squandered. This would represent a real misstep in thenation's progress toward development of a healthy democracy.
The women of Afghanistan need access to economic opportunities, access toeducation in all levels and access to physical and psychosocial healthservices, without having to seek permission first. They need to exercisetheir rights without threat of retaliation. They need to be able toarticulate their needs, both as individuals and as equal partners indecisions about the future of their society. There can not be aprosperous, strong, economically healthy and democratic Afghanistan withouthaving strong women in the nation who are fully part of shaping thesociety.
By their own accounts, if Afghan women can participate shoulder to shoulderwith men in rebuilding their country, all of society will benefit. But forthis to happen, all Afghan women must be able to exercise their humanrights, regardless of religious or political affiliation.