My expedition to Afghanistan connected me to four courageous women, most notably Karima Bibi as she served as a guide to me. While my report will shed more light on life in post-U.S. invasion Afghanistan, it should also be noted that her armed bodyguards constantly accompanied Karima. It became very clear very quickly that crime and violence were commonplace despite the fact that the Taliban had been routed and removed from power. In fact the crimes against the three women Karima introduced me to are not linked to existing Taliban insurgent forces.
While the expedition began in Kabul, Karima also brought me close to the Pakistani border to meet one of these brave women. Apologies are made for flagrant misspellings of their names (including Karima’s); however, in most instances Karima was protecting their identities by using pseudonyms:
“Jemela”: Marriage was arranged to a 40 year-old warlord at 13. As a victim of constant abuse in this forced marriage, “Jemela” attempted suicide by self-immolation (a practice among victimized Afghani women that has been shockingly on the rise). Threats on her life by her warlord husband persist.
“Gulot”: Daughter was raped by the son of a powerful poppy-field owner. Demanded justice from provincial council. Waited an entire year without justice, but the offender was finally “punished” by demanding him to forfeit land to her that are actually active minefields.
Beloashi Mohammed: Similar to a case involving Ms Malalai Joya, reported by Amnesty International, Beloashi claimed Afghanistan’s new government was “run by a bunch of pigs” in an interview with the BBC. She was arrested for her statements, imprisoned for two days.
In addition to these interviews, the picture of women's rights in Afghanistan was made clearer by coverage in the international press:
- Afghan teachers are assassinated by Taliban, which contributes to a climate of fear and intimidation where half of all Afghan children are not finishing a primary education.
Conclusions and Recommendations
Based on my interviews on the ground and the attached articles, Afghanistan is in violation of the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) of which the country has been a signed State party since March 5, 2003. In the first case, "Jamela" was forced into a marriage (violation of Part IV, Article 16) and little is being done to protect her from his persistent threats (violation of Part IV, Article 15). In the second case, the state failed to efficiently and appropriately redress crimes that were brought to the attention (violation of Part IV, Article 15). And finally, in the the third case the state has perpetuated a system of intimidation to keep women out of public affairs (violation of Part II, Article 7).
It is my recommendation that the UJD continue to work with our brave contacts within the country, like Karima Bibi, to monitor and expose these types of human rights violations. Furthermore, I believe the existing U.S. and U.N. peacekeeping forces still stationed in Afghanistan should be made aware of what constitutes a violation of the CEDAW and how to take the appropriate steps to report and redress those violations.
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