Plight of Afghan Women Unveiled in Bonn

For the first time in over twenty years, Afghan women are sitting down at a conference table to discuss the political future of Afghanistan. Although the ratio of four women delegates to 36 men still leaves a lot to be desired, Afghan women regard participation in the Bonn conference as an important first step in the creation of a new government that guarantees the protection of women's rights.

The plight of Afghan women has long been an issue of concern to human rights agencies and women's organizations around the world. Under the Taliban, women were subjected to repressive laws. They were forbidden from holding jobs and attending school after the age of eight. They were also required to cover their entire body and face with the burqa whenever they appeared in public. Women who disobeyed the laws were punished severely.

But even before the Taliban came to power, Afghan women were put under immense pressure to adhere to strict rules and codes of behavior. Afghan women's organizations such as the Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan (RAWA) warn that the government between 1992 and 1996 was just as guilty of violating women's rights as the Taliban.

International attention

Prior to this week's conference in Bonn, several international women's organizations began applying pressure to the various Afghan factions and the United Nations to include women in the discussions. A group of European development ministers appealed to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan to appoint women delegates to the conference.

The German Minister for Economic Aid and Development, Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul, said that the credibility of a new Afghanistan government relied on the inclusion of women in the rebuilding process. Women need to participate in the political future of Afghanistan and it is the responsibility of the international community to ensure that they have this chance, Wieczorek-Zeul said on Friday.

German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer also drew attention to the plight of Afghan women and the protection of women's rights during his opening speech at the conference on Tuesday: "Above all, the new government of Afghanistan needs to focus on restoring human rights and dignity to women." Their active participation in political and social life is imperative for the peaceful future of the country, Fischer stressed.

Women on different sides

Just days before the conference, it was still not clear whether or not women would be participating in the conference. Only when the delegations actually began arriving on Monday did it become clear that the delegations had decided to heed international pressure and include women. Each of the four rival factions now have at least one "quota" woman delegate or advisor attending the Bonn conference.

Although the delegations represent different political factions, they seem - at least publicly - to agree on the importance of protecting women's rights under the new government. And whatever their position on the role of women was before the conference, they have all come out in favor of women's participation in Afghan politics.

In their own words

The royalist faction representing the former king, Zahir Shah, has sent two women delegates to the conference. "The role of women for the future of Afghanistan is very crucial and important," said the king's spokesman, Hamad Sidig.

"We want to integrate the women of Afghanistan into modern life," the former king's grandson said at the start of the conference. "We are absolutely concerned by their plight."

The Northern Alliance Interior Minister Younis Qanooni said he plans to involve more Afghan women in the political process in the future. "We would like to make sure there are certain rules to ensure women are not disadvantaged," Qanooni said. "One of the aims of our resistance has been to renew the rights of women in Afghanistan."

Fedigheh Balchi, a woman representative from the Iran-backed Cyprus delegation of exiled Afghans said she is certain that all women, even the religiously devout, will find their due status in the future Afghanistan. At a press conference, Balchi explained her vision for Afghanistan: "Our women have been oppressed for years under the Taliban. Now we have a chance for a Renaissance for women."

The Peshawar delegation, which represents the largest minority in Afghanistan, sent Fatemeh Gailani to represent women in Afghanistan. She told journalists that the conference in Bonn offered a unique opportunity to rebuild Afghanistan for both men and women. "If we do not succeed in finding a compromise here," she said, "then we will face very difficult times ahead of us."

Afghanistan's future

By sending women delegates to the conference and by acknowledging women's rights to political integration, the four factions are making a radical break with the oppressive government of the Taliban. However, there is still a long way to go before women in Afghanistan enjoy the same freedoms and rights as women in the West.

Many of the loudest protestors are exiled Afghan women. Those who speak on women's issues in Afghanistan, who raise money for Afghan women's projects, promote international awareness of the struggles and hardship of Afghan women are all exiled Afghans. Neither of the women delegates sent by the king, for instance, live in Afghanistan. Rona Yusuf Mansuri lives in Germany and Sima Wali in the US. The representative for the Cyprus group is also an exiled Afghan.

Back in Kabul, the situation is different. Although a woman's voice is now broadcast over Afghanistan radio and TV and woman are now being allowed to return to work, the majority of Afghan women are waiting to see what the future brings. Some are skeptical about the Northern Alliance and their promises to protect women's rights, others only want to make small safe steps towards their new found freedom.

For Afghan women, both those living in Afghanistan and those in exile, it is clear that the government can only guarantee women's rights in a time of peace. If the talks in Bonn fail and the factions resort to civil war, the plight of women will quickly be forgotten. For this reason, Rona Yusuf has said, "I want to represent firstly Afghan people, and secondly Afghan women."