Nilofar Sakhi, Visiting FellowNilofar Sakhi, Visiting FellowNational Endowment for DemocracyNational Endowment for Democracy

March 8, 2007March 8, 2007

Challenges Confronting the Challenges Confronting the Women’s Movement in AfghanistanWomen’s Movement in Afghanistan

Presentation OverviewPresentation Overview

I. Afghanistan: A Political Overview I. Afghanistan: A Political Overview (1979–present) (1979–present)

II. The Women’s MovementII. The Women’s Movement

III. Periods of Change in Women’s Status III. Periods of Change in Women’s Status (1920–present)(1920–present)

IV. Challenges Confronting Afghan WomenIV. Challenges Confronting Afghan Women

V. Concluding RecommendationsV. Concluding Recommendations

Political Overview (1979–present)Political Overview (1979–present)

1979–86:1979–86: Communist Regime Communist Regime 1992–96:1992–96: Mujahidden Government Mujahidden Government 1994:1994: Taliban militia emerge Taliban militia emerge 1996–2001: Taliban government1996–2001: Taliban government 2001–present: Islamic Republic of 2001–present: Islamic Republic of

Afghanistan (with Hamid Karzai as Afghanistan (with Hamid Karzai as president)president)

What Is the Afghan Women’s Movement?What Is the Afghan Women’s Movement?

Women’s Associations: Women’s Associations: • women’s councils women’s councils (shuras)(shuras)• youth associationsyouth associations• associations within universities and schoolsassociations within universities and schools

Women’s NGOs and other networksWomen’s NGOs and other networks Women’s MinistryWomen’s Ministry Individuals: writers, poets, social Individuals: writers, poets, social

activistsactivists

Composition of the Women’s MovementComposition of the Women’s Movement

Women's Ministry

NGOs

Networks

Individuals

Associations

Periods of Change in Women’s StatusPeriods of Change in Women’s Status

1920s–30s: First Era of Change1920s–30s: First Era of Change

1920s: First Era Of Change1920s: First Era Of Change

Queen Surya of Afghanistan 1920

1920 onward:1920 onward: Women’s issues are an Women’s issues are an integral part of “national integral part of “national construction” (nation-building) construction” (nation-building) agendasagendas

1927: Queen Surya spearheads the 1927: Queen Surya spearheads the establishment of Afghanistan’s first establishment of Afghanistan’s first women’s organization, the Anjuman-women’s organization, the Anjuman-I-Himayat-I-Niswan (Organization for I-Himayat-I-Niswan (Organization for Women’s Protection and Legal Women’s Protection and Legal Rights)Rights)

Women gain legal protections and Women gain legal protections and enter the fields of education & enter the fields of education & politicspolitics

Late 1920s and 1930sLate 1920s and 1930s Introduction of income-generation programsIntroduction of income-generation programs Introduction of cultural programs (including the emergence of Introduction of cultural programs (including the emergence of

“Miss Afghanistan”)“Miss Afghanistan”)

Periods of Change in Women’s StatusPeriods of Change in Women’s Status

1920s–30s: First Era of Change1920s–30s: First Era of Change 1940s–50s: Advances in Economic Sphere1940s–50s: Advances in Economic Sphere

1940s–1950s:1940s–1950s:Advances in Economic SphereAdvances in Economic Sphere

Increase in women’s employment rateIncrease in women’s employment rate

Periods of Change in Women’s StatusPeriods of Change in Women’s Status

1920s–30s: First Era of Change1920s–30s: First Era of Change 1940s–50s: Advances in Economic Sphere 1940s–50s: Advances in Economic Sphere 1960s–70s: Second Era of Change1960s–70s: Second Era of Change

1960s–70s: Second Era of Change1960s–70s: Second Era of Change 1964: Third constitution allows women to enter electoral politics1964: Third constitution allows women to enter electoral politics 1967–68: Increase in women’s participation in education & politics1967–68: Increase in women’s participation in education & politics

Periods of Change in Women’s StatusPeriods of Change in Women’s Status

1920s–30s: First Era of Change1920s–30s: First Era of Change 1940s–50s: Advances in Economic Sphere 1940s–50s: Advances in Economic Sphere 1960s–70s: Second Era of Change1960s–70s: Second Era of Change 1980s: Additional Advances1980s: Additional Advances

1980s: Additional Advances1980s: Additional AdvancesWomen are employed in significant numbers in the Women are employed in significant numbers in the public and private sectors (universities, businesses, public and private sectors (universities, businesses,

airlines, hospitals, cinema, police force, etc.).airlines, hospitals, cinema, police force, etc.).

Periods of Change in Women’s StatusPeriods of Change in Women’s Status

1920s–30s: First Era of Change1920s–30s: First Era of Change 1940s–50s: Advances in Economic Sphere 1940s–50s: Advances in Economic Sphere 1960s–70s: Second Era of Change1960s–70s: Second Era of Change 1980s: Additional Advances1980s: Additional Advances 1990–94: Decline in Women’s Status1990–94: Decline in Women’s Status

1990–1994:1990–1994:Decline in Women’s StatusDecline in Women’s Status

From 1992 onward, women are increasingly excluded From 1992 onward, women are increasingly excluded from public service.from public service.

Periods of Change in Women’s StatusPeriods of Change in Women’s Status

1920s–30s: First Era of Change1920s–30s: First Era of Change 1940s–50s: Advances in Economic Sphere 1940s–50s: Advances in Economic Sphere 1960s–70s: Second Era of Change1960s–70s: Second Era of Change 1980s: Additional Advances1980s: Additional Advances 1990–94: Decline in Women’s Status1990–94: Decline in Women’s Status 1994–2001: Gender Apartheid1994–2001: Gender Apartheid

1994–2001: Gender Apartheid1994–2001: Gender ApartheidUnder the Taliban, women can only appear in public if Under the Taliban, women can only appear in public if they are dressed in a complete head-to-toe garment, they are dressed in a complete head-to-toe garment, with a mesh-covered opening for their eyes.with a mesh-covered opening for their eyes.

Periods of Change in Women’s StatusPeriods of Change in Women’s Status

1920s–30s: First Era of Change1920s–30s: First Era of Change 1940s–50s: Advances in Economic Sphere 1940s–50s: Advances in Economic Sphere 1960s–70s: Second Era of Change1960s–70s: Second Era of Change 1980s: Additional Advances1980s: Additional Advances 1990–94: Decline in Women’s Status1990–94: Decline in Women’s Status 1994–2001: Gender Apartheid1994–2001: Gender Apartheid 2001–2007: Third Era of Change2001–2007: Third Era of Change

2001–present: Third Era of Change2001–present: Third Era of Change Increase in women’s participation in socio-political sectorIncrease in women’s participation in socio-political sector International community focuses on Afghan women for the first timeInternational community focuses on Afghan women for the first time

Women Participate in Livelihood, Women Participate in Livelihood, Education, and Media Programs Education, and Media Programs

Community Mobilization Through Community Mobilization Through Women’s GroupsWomen’s Groups

Working Through Members of Working Through Members of Local GovernmentLocal Government

A Wide Range of CampaignsA Wide Range of Campaigns

Challenges Facing Afghan WomenChallenges Facing Afghan Women

The Core IssueThe Core Issue

Challenges in SecurityChallenges in Security

Legal ChallengesLegal Challenges

Challenges in Reaching Rural AreasChallenges in Reaching Rural Areas

Challenges in Capacity BuildingChallenges in Capacity Building

Challenges in the Economic SphereChallenges in the Economic Sphere

The Core IssueThe Core Issue

Political Instability Lack of Law Enforcement

Poverty

Patriarchy

Cruel Cultural Practices

High Female Mortality RateDomestic Violence against

Women

Self-Immolation

Security ChallengesSecurity Challenges The continuing lack of security enormously The continuing lack of security enormously

constrains women’s participation in the rebuilding constrains women’s participation in the rebuilding processprocess

Security concerns lessen the number of women Security concerns lessen the number of women participating in politicsparticipating in politics

Most families don’t allow their women to work due Most families don’t allow their women to work due to the lack of securityto the lack of security

Women activists and teachers have been Women activists and teachers have been threatened and attacked in insecure regionsthreatened and attacked in insecure regions

Insecurity slows down women’s activitiesInsecurity slows down women’s activities

Legal ChallengesLegal Challenges Lack of law enforcement for the prevention of Lack of law enforcement for the prevention of

violence against womenviolence against women Patriarchal values and deeply conservative notions Patriarchal values and deeply conservative notions

of gender roles of many powerful political-military of gender roles of many powerful political-military factions inhibit women’s socio-political participationfactions inhibit women’s socio-political participation

Police are not trained to be sensitive to domestic Police are not trained to be sensitive to domestic violenceviolence

The court system does not protect women from The court system does not protect women from cruel cultural practices (e.g., “cruel cultural practices (e.g., “baad”baad”))

In remote areas of the country, most decisions are In remote areas of the country, most decisions are made through customary law—mostly made through customary law—mostly jirgajirga or the or the informal justice systeminformal justice system

Challenges in Challenges in Reaching Rural AfghanistanReaching Rural Afghanistan

Lack of strategies to expand women’s Lack of strategies to expand women’s activities in rural Afghanistanactivities in rural Afghanistan

The women’s movement has thus far The women’s movement has thus far been focused on: been focused on:

Urban AfghanistanUrban Afghanistan The EliteThe Elite Politically Active WomenPolitically Active Women

Challenges in Capacity BuildingChallenges in Capacity Building

PrPrograms focus exclusively on women ograms focus exclusively on women and neglect the education of men and neglect the education of men concerning women’s rightsconcerning women’s rights

Programs tend to be short-termPrograms tend to be short-term Programs neglect rural womenPrograms neglect rural women Programs tend not to focus on Programs tend not to focus on

professionalizing women’s groups:professionalizing women’s groups:• Lack of management trainingLack of management training• Lack of accountabilityLack of accountability

Challenges in Economic SphereChallenges in Economic Sphere

Lack of long-term programs promoting Lack of long-term programs promoting economic sustainabilityeconomic sustainability

Lack of income-generating programsLack of income-generating programs Fewer job opportunities for women Fewer job opportunities for women

(especially for rural women)(especially for rural women)

Concluding RecommendationsConcluding Recommendations

Establish visible security measuresEstablish visible security measures Reform the education curriculum, particularly Reform the education curriculum, particularly

textbookstextbooks Advocate for women’s space in the mosque and Advocate for women’s space in the mosque and

religious institutions religious institutions Establish family courts in provinces, with the autho-Establish family courts in provinces, with the autho-

rity to investigate cases of violence against womenrity to investigate cases of violence against women Create more job opportunities for womenCreate more job opportunities for women Establish long-term and income-generation projectsEstablish long-term and income-generation projects Expand women’s activities to rural AfghanistanExpand women’s activities to rural Afghanistan Include men in gender-sensitivity programsInclude men in gender-sensitivity programs