THE TALIBAN SPIRIT STILL REIGNS IN AFGHANISTAN
Anna Karamanou Chairperson of the Committee on Women΄s Rights and Equal Opportunities of the European Parliament	11-12/ 2002

 

 

The journey has been indeed «long, full of adventure, full of knowledge», just like the Greek poet Cavafis would say. It was a group of six socialist women MEPs (Lissy Groner, Fiorella Ghilardotti, Marie-Helene Gillig, Genevieve Fraise and me) who, on the last day of October and for an entire week, launched a journey to Afganistan, the country that has so much troubled the entire world during the past year. It was a sheer folly, according to some. It was the first time that a European Parliament delegation was visiting the country; nevertheless, fear and doubts receded when faced with the goal: to express the EP´s sincere support and solidarity towards the Afgan people and to secure that the country is being rebuilt in a way that takes caters for the advancement of women´s position.

 

We have met with the President of Afganistan, Hamid Karzai, who is trying to save his country but is faced with many problems, since he is only in control of Kabul. We have also met with the former King and current Father of the Nation, Zaher Shah, the Ministers of Health, Education, Foreign Affairs, Women Issues, Interior Affairs, National Economy and Justice, as well as with Sima Samar, President of the Committee for Human Rights and with several NGOs. We have visited areas where EU projects are being implemented, in Kabul but also in the countryside. Although we have witnessed some bright gestures, such as the liberation of 20 women who had been convicted for adultery just one day after our visit to the Minister of Interior, nevertheless we have reached a common conclusion: not much has changed for women in Afganistan.

 

It was an overwhelming experience. We visited a third-world country with an extremely low degree of economic and social development. Afganistan is not a modern country, with a powerful central government. Law does not apply, order does not exist. Just a look around could convince anyone that it will be very difficult for any progress to be achieved. Homes are in fact huts, conditions of hygiene are non-existent. Public baths, formerly destroyed by the Taliban, are now being rebuilt with EU funding, so that people can wash themselves. Markets are lacking basic commodities, while there exists an army of children that beg in the streets. There are very few hospitals; in Kabul there only exist hospitals set up by NGOs, but in rural areas there are none. Ninety-nine percent of women give birth without any medical assistance; as a result, roughly one woman dies every half hour, which is among the highest rates in the world.

 

The situation of women remains tragic in every respect. “Blue ghosts”, namely women wearing their blue burga, are everywhere, since only a few dare take it off and thus endanger their lives. The Taliban may have lost power, but their spirit is widespread. Women are a means of solving land disputes. They are being traded between quarrelling fractions. Meanwhile, forced weddings are on the everyday agenda. Girls of just 13 years of age are being sold to the highest bidder, usually older men. If they manage to escape, they are being imprisoned and punished severely.

 

In Bamian, where the Taliban have destroyed the sculptures of Buddah, we had a meeting with the forum of women organizations and realized that this was the first opportunity these women had to speak in public. They were even ashamed of uttering their name, while they were constantly hiding their faces. They are subjected to many kinds of abuse, rape, etc, are victims to crimes of honour, their life has no value whatsoever and the culprits for these crimes remain unpunished.

 

The biggest accomplishment of the Karzai administration is that parents now allow their girls to attend school. But even on that, there are many problems. The Taliban are circulating freely, they even appear on TV. A few weeks ago, bomb-pens were left in several schoolyards; as a result many female students were mutilated or killed. These attacks were underpinned by local priests, who object to women´s education. A few steps are also being taken with respect to women´s labour. But are they enough?

 

This was an unforgettable experience that has convinced us that women in Afganistan don´t only necessitate humanitarian aid; they mainly need that bold political action be undertaken. It is therefore essential that:

 

ü      The new Constitution procure specifically for women´s rights and provides the necessary legal framework for fighting against discrimination.

ü      New government measures be implemented, specifically with regard to Education and Health issues.

ü      A Council for Afgan Women be created, with the goal to bring in touch members of the government and women´s organizations

ü      A European Fund for Afgan Women be created in order to support their increased needs. My suggestion to the Greek Presidency of the EU is to initiate the procedures for the creation of this Fund as soon as possible.

 

These proposals are only the beginning. Whatever we do at this stage won´t be enough for those women who are still suffering unutterable misery and who had one loud message to pass to the world: «It´s peace that we want, peace, not war». To achieve this, namely to turn a culture of violence to a culture of peace, women should be allowed to participate, on an equal footing, to the decision-making process of their country´s new Constitution.