Military

DATE=02/07/2003

TYPE=ON THE LINE SHORT #1

NUMBER=1-01275

TITLE=WOMEN IN AFGHANISTAN

INTERNET=Yes

EDITOR=OFFICE OF POLICY 619-0037

CONTENT= CONTENTS IN DALET AND AUDIO SERVICES

THEME: UP, HOLD UNDER AND FADE

Host: This is On the Line, and I'm ---------. Women make up more than half the population of Afghanistan. But under the Islamic extremist Taleban, Afghan women were not allowed to hold jobs. They could not attend school. They could not leave their homes unless escorted by a male relative. Now things are changing. Since the overthrow of the Taleban in December 2001, Afghan women have begun to resume more normal lives.

Paula Dobriansky is Under Secretary of State for Global Affairs. She was recently in Kabul for a meeting of the U.S.-Afghan Women's Council.

Dobriansky: On March twenty-one, the schools opened, the primary schools. And not only young boys but young girls were permitted to go back to school. It's not to say that there isn't more to be done in that area, especially in some of the localities outside of Kabul. But at the same time, women went back to their jobs, they participated actively in the political process, they're very engaged in the future process, the writing of the constitution, the judicial commission as well as the Human Rights commission headed by Sima Samar.

Host: Zama Coursen-Neff is a lawyer at Human Rights Watch. She says that there has not been enough progress, and indeed many setbacks for Afghan women.

Coursen-Neff: Of course, things are better than they were under the Taleban. But the truth is, that's not saying very much. And I think the better question is, are things as good as they could be given the resources that we have? And the answer is no. Outside of Kabul, women's basic security is still under attack. We've handed over the security to the warlords -- people who actually threaten women's security the most. And many of these warlords are re-imposing Taleban restrictions on women's right to work, on their freedom of movement. Even their right to education is under attack.

Host: Nafissa Mahmood Ghowrwal is head of the International Federation of Afghan Women. She says that establishing rights for women in Afghanistan will be neither quick nor easy.

Mahmood Ghowrwal: Right now, I think everybody's optimistic. They're very much enjoying their freedom, first of all. But still, a lot of progress has to be made. No one denies that Afghanistan was under fire for the past twenty-five years, so nothing [no rights of any sort] was there. If somebody has been given the opportunity to start from scratch, it takes time, it's got to be given time.

Host: Even with the challenges and the setbacks, U-S Under Secretary of State Paula Dobriansky says Afghan women have the determination to move forward. For On the Line, I'm --------.