December 6, 1999
FACT SHEET
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
_______________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release December 6, 1999
FACT SHEET
Taliban Persecution of Women and Girls in Afghanistan
In commemoration of Human Rights Day, President Clinton is announcing new
U.S. policy initiatives to address the circumstances of Afghans, especially
women and girls, who have suffered serious human rights abuses at the hands
of the Taliban.
New Initiatives
- Commitment of at least $2 million in fiscal year 2000 to support Non
Governmental Organization (NGO) education and health programs for Afghan
women and girls who are refugees in Pakistan.
- $1.5 million in emergency United States Agency for International
Development (USAID) assistance for Afghans inside Afghanistan who have been
displaced by the recent Taliban offensive.
- A significant increase in our resettlement of Afghan women who are in
vulnerable circumstances.
- Establishment of an Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) and NGO
presence in Islamabad, Pakistan to ensure ready access to Afghan refugee
women and girls who may be in need of rescue.
Belquis Ahmadi
The President will be introduced by Belquis Ahmadi, a 27-year-old women?s
rights activist and relief worker who left Afghanistan when the Taliban
regime prevented thousands of women from working and girls from attending
school. As the Afghanistan Advisor to the Women?s Rights Advocacy Program
of the International Human Rights Law Group, Ms. Ahmadi highlighted the
violation of women?s human rights in Afghanistan in 1998 and 1999.
Ms. Ahmadi is a founding member of the Afghan Women?s Network, started two
months before the Taliban takeover of Kabul. She is presently resettled in
the United States, working full-time and taking university courses, while
serving as guardian to three of her younger siblings.
Background: Women and Girls in Afghanistan
The situation of women and girls deteriorated rapidly with the resumption
of fighting between the Afghan factions in 1992. Lawlessness, rape and
kidnapping were rampant throughout much of the country, as local militia
commanders dominated the country. When the Taliban appeared on the scene
in 1994, it enjoyed a series of victories and was initially popular with
many who were tired of the war and general anarchy. When they took over
Kabul in 1996, they began to enforce a series of highly restrictive social
strictures, many of which adversely affected women and their position in
society. Educated women suffered the most from the Taliban?s restrictions.
Some changes have taken place since then, however, and women and girls now
do have access to medical services and hospitals in Kabul. In addition,
male doctors can and do treat female patients and many female doctors have
returned to work (though access to medical facilities is impaired for all
by critical shortages). Nonetheless, women are still required to wear a
traditional long robe that covers them from head to toe (a ?burqa?) when
outside their home. A small mesh covered opening about five inches square
provides the only means to see. Some women have been beaten by the Taliban
"religious police" on the street for failure to wear the burqa or for not
being fully covered.
The Taliban restricted education for girls to religious instruction only.
Although the Taliban claim that they are not against female education and
have requested resources from foreign donors for educating both boys and
girls, we have seen no serious effort to provide wider educational
opportunities for women and girls and they have yet to accept those offers
of assistance that have been extended. Taliban restrictions on women are
most acutely felt in cities such as Herat and Kabul, where there are
educated and professional women. Before the Taliban takeover, Kabul
University had several thousand women students, while women worked in
varied professions. War widows (there are over 30,000 in Kabul alone) have
been particularly hard hit, many of whom are the sole providers of their
families. Many were reduced to begging on the streets to feed their
children due to employment restrictions and deteriorating economic
conditions throughout the country.
U. S. diplomatic efforts. The United States does not recognize the Taliban
or any other Afghan faction as the government of Afghanistan. We have made
it clear that a future government in Afghanistan should be broad based,
represent the interests of all Afghans, and observe international norms of
behavior, including respect for human rights and active rejection of
narcotics and terrorism.
U. S. humanitarian efforts for women and girls. The United States is the
largest donor of humanitarian relief to victims of conflict in Afghanistan,
most of it channeled through the World Food Program. In FY99, U.S.
assistance for Afghans both inside and outside Afghanistan totaled about
$70 million. In addition to food aid through World Food Program (WFP), we
have funded NGO efforts to implement health and education projects for
Afghan women and girl refugees principally in Pakistan.
Resettlement of refugees. The Administration is also strengthening
resettlement efforts, and expects to resettle about 1,500 Afghans and their
families this year (a 500 percent increase over FY 1999). Among this
number, we seek to identify at least 400 Afghan Women-at-Risk cases for
resettlement in the United States. Other resettled refugees will include
persecuted ethnic and religious minorities and other groups singled out by
the Taliban.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Office of the Senior Coordinator for
International Women's Issues, U.S. Department of State.
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