Six year after the fall of the Taliban women are still in a precarious position. The Constitution gives equal rights to women but it is not followed up in practical terms. Women are often victims of domestic violence as well as in the public space, for being married against their will, child marriage and honour killing. They are also used as payment for debt. Rape is not a clearly defined criminal act (zina), a woman who attempts to file a case of rape, will easily be sentenced herself. Women cannot exercise their rights to inheritance. Women’s desperation over lack of rights, including basic legal rights leads in some cases to suicide, particularly by setting fire to herself. Norway supports a shelter for women through NCA.
Girls waiting for school to open. Photo by Norwegian Refugee Council
An average 14% adult women are literate (in the rural areas only 8%) compared with 43% for men. Although great strides have been made in the last 5-6 years on enrolment of girls in primary school, around 50% girls of primary school age still do have access to school. The gap between boys and girls gets bigger the higher up you get in the education system. Maternal mortality s of the highest in the world, but has improved the last years. Women cannot be treated by male doctors and only 60% of health facilities have female doctors. Expected lifespan is 44 years, a year less than for men.
However, things are moving in the right direction, more girls attend school and in the Parliament 27% of the elected members are women. However, there is only one Minister (for Women Affairs) in the Cabinet.
Women participating in a local Community Development Council. Photo by Aga Khan Foundation
Afghanistan has signed the”Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women” (CEDAW). This has been followed up by a National Action Plan for Afghan Women (NAPWA), that aims at empowerment and strengthening the role of women. It works to ensure progress for women in Afghanistan on the Millennium Development Goals in (i) health (ii) poverty/work (iii) legal protection and human rights, including protection against violence of women (iv) education and (v) political participation. Norway support the action plans establishment and implementation through UNIFEM. The implementation is lead by the Ministry of Women Affairs and the Minister Ms. H. B.Ghazamfar (from August 2006).
Norway is focusing on women and girls education through support to UNICEF's community-based schools and literacy centres for women, training teachers with an emphasis on women through the Norwegian Refugee Council and the Norwegian Afghanistan Committee. The support to Norwegian Church Aid emphasises on empowerment of rural women, protection and advocacy for women rights.
Norway is also in the process of supporting UNIFEM’s “Gender and Justice” programme which aims to improve women’s access to justice. In addition, the Norwegian police project has been working for several years to increase recruitment of women to the Afghan National Police (ANP) and to build the capacity of the women working in the police.
Other relevante documents:
Norwegian Embassy