Independent Women's Forum - Halima Karzai

"If you show fear, they will eat you"

info@iwf.org (Halima Karzai) — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 13:27:00 EDT

"Why women now lead the dissident fight in Cuba" is a fascinating article in the Christian Science Monitor highlighting the efforts made by a group of courageous women peacefully fighting for change for all Cubans in spite of the growing defiance they are facing from Raul Castro's government.

"If you show fear, they will eat you," says Ms. Rivero, a regional head of the Latin American Federation of Rural Women (FLAMUR), a Cuban group dedicated to pushing for political rights. "They won't swallow me whole."

It was campaigning for a single currency that got Rivero punched in the mouth last August, she says. She was handing out T-shirts with the slogan: "Con la misma moneda," meaning "with the same money." This prompted three men, who she says were government-paid thugs, to attack her on a city bus and attempt to throw her out into traffic. She lost two back teeth, she says, opening wide to show the gaps.

"We're always under surveillance," says Ms. Suarez calmly, explaining that she works with other women to bring political prisoners food, medicine, books, and moral support. But, at times, she becomes the prisoner. "Sometimes they'll lock me up for a day or so."

Her daughter, Yuricel, who was inspired by US first lady Laura Bush (a former school teacher and librarian) to become a librarian, is out of work and blacklisted. She says she was fired for handing out books provided by the US government.

Rivero's still so angry with the government that she rejects the food vouchers that all Cubans get. Instead, she's made it a point to be self-sufficient by growing enough food to feed herself - and to donate to others.

Read full article.

Iraqi Women Putting Aside Fear and Fighting Violence

info@iwf.org (Halima Karzai) — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 12:15:00 EDT

Due to a rise in female suicide attacks, the Daughters of Iraq, a group of approxiamately 70 women are bravely standing together in an attempt to curb Iraq's growing wave of female suicide bombers.

The group of women security volunteers was formed in an effort to stop female suicide attacks in Diyala province, still torn by violence. The women will begin searching other women at checkpoints, schools and hospitals next week.

The group of 70 represented a total of 130 women who graduated after a five-day training course. They join the ranks of some 80,000 U.S.-allied men security volunteers countrywide, called the Sons of Iraq.

Unlike their male counterparts, however, the Daughters of Iraq will not carry weapons.

The program was conceived in response to a rise in female suicide attacks in the province, said U.S. army Capt. Charles Knoll, whose unit is responsible for security in several towns in the Diyala river valley, north of Baghdad.

More than nine suicide attacks have been carried out by women in Diyala this year, part of a wave of over 20 female suicide attacks countrywide.

We see female police in America and we want to be like them," said Alwan. "It is a dream we want to make true. We want to use all the power we have to help our country."

"The danger is normal for me," she said. "If I don't help my country, who will?"

Read the complete article here.

New Report on Saudi Migrant Workers

info@iwf.org (Halima Karzai) — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 16:11:00 EDT

Human Rights Watch has just released a report on the condition of migrant workers in Saudi Arabia. The report concludes two years of research and is based on 142 interviews with domestic workers, senior government officials, and labor recruiters in Saudi Arabia and labor-sending countries.

The full report can be found here.

Viewpoints with Lockwood Phillips: A Woman's Gratitude

info@iwf.org (Halima Karzai) — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 11:21:00 EDT

Halima Karzai joined Viewpoints with Lockwood Phillips to discuss human trafficking in the US and women's circumstances around the world.

The Steve Largent Show: Human Trafficking

info@iwf.org (Halima Karzai) — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 17:01:00 EDT

Halima Karzai joins The Steve Largent Show to discuss a serious problem around the world of human trafficking. Halima says that 1 out 4 teens in the United States on the street are lured into prostitution within 48 hours of leaving their home.

A Woman's Gratitude When Looking Overseas

info@iwf.org (Halima Karzai) — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 16:18:00 EDT

This 4^th of July, as women of all ethnic and cultural backgrounds in America enjoy a three-day weekend in celebration of Independence Day, one can only hope that they also reflect on the many liberties and rights that they ordinarily take for granted.

Almost 90 years ago, women in the U.S. were granted the right to vote and had limited access to education and employment. Today, Women in the U.S. are reaching the height of political power, are working in high-level positions, and are fulfilling roles once seen as appropriate for only men.

American women are among the lucky few. Across the globe, many women wish they had access to the rights and protections that women in the United States view as ordinary.

In Iran, women's rights activists were arrested on June 12^th before the commencement of a peaceful assembly to mark the third anniversary of the National Day of Solidarity of Iranian Women. Iranian women live in constant fear of reprisal from their government for merely voicing concern about injustices the regime is imposing on them.

Can a woman in the U.S. grasp being tortured, raped, and beaten because her husband, son, or a male relative was a suspected supporter of a political party? Sadly, this is the case for millions of women in conflict and war stricken nations throughout the world. In Burma, women are raped by the military as a weapon to subjugate ethnic minorities.

Many American women recognize that they are uniquely blessed to live in this country and are working to help advance women's rights around the world. After the tragic events of September 11^th, for example, several American women who had lost loved ones in the attacks took the initiative to help Afghan women. Some even moved to Afghanistan because they knew they still had a lot to be grateful for and even though they were dealing with unimaginable grief, knew Afghan women had endured this same sorrow for decades. For example, Deborah Rodriguez, a hair stylist from Michigan went to Afghanistan to give something to Afghan women, a beauty parlor-which may seem insignificant for women in the States, but was a place of comfort and self recognition for women in Afghanistan.

This weekend, undoubtedly many American women will be busy planning barbeques and picnics for their families. This is as it should be - a time to celebrate the joys that freedom brings. I hope they take a moment to be thankful they live in a nation where it can be done and think about their sisters around the globe who wish for the same for their own families. July 4^th is a time for celebration and a time to recommit ourselves to the idea that liberty is truly for all.

Women Suffering from War

info@iwf.org (Halima Karzai) — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 11:56:00 EDT

An article in The Age draws attention to staggering facts on women in war stricken societies and discusses a recent study that argues the protection of such women are critical to fighting poverty.

YOUNG women occupy a strange space in most cultures. As mothers, sisters and daughters, their strength and resilience help hold their communities together. But in times of war they are often the first and most vulnerable targets.

That is how it was for Bintu and Rumenia.

Bintu is from Liberia, where she was captured by rebels during the civil war. Rumenia is from East Timor and lost her 20-year-old older brother in the 2006 uprising when he was shot outside her family home.

Their experiences and that of other women living "in the shadow of war" have been documented by international child aid agency Plan in a special report, the second in a series of nine.

It argues that drastic legal change is needed to protect women and girls if the world is to meet the United Nations millenium development goal to halve world poverty by 2015.

"Over 200 million girls are living in poverty in states teetering on the brink of chaos," the report says.

"Up to 90% of victims of modern war are civilians; a substantial proportion are women and children. One hundred thousand girls are child soldiers."

Click here for complete article.

Weapon of War: Rape

info@iwf.org (Halima Karzai) — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 15:25:00 EDT

From the Daily Nation Online:

The UN SECURITY COUNCIL last week voted unanimously in favour of a resolution that could change how war is defined around the world.

The resolution, sponsored by the United States, declared rape and sexual violence as a "war tactic" that aims to "humiliate, dominate, instil fear in, disperse and/or forcibly relocate civilian members of a community or ethnic group."

The recognition of rape as a weapon of war by the international community is significant and historic because it acknowledges what has been described as "one of history's greatest silences" - the sexual violation of women and girls during periods of conflict.

Ever since men started fighting other men for territory and resources, rape has been used as a weapon to subdue and conquer the enemy.

Soldiers, war-mongers and combatants know that one of the most effective ways to destroy a community is by raping its women and girls.

Rape and sexual violence not only emotionally damage the victims, they destabilise affected populations, and destroy bonds that keep families and communities together.

Read complete article here.

VOA Encounter: Afganistan Update

info@iwf.org (Halima Karzai) — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 12:45:00 EDT

International donors pledged more than 20 billion dollars toward Afghanistan's economic development at a recent conference in Paris. Halima Karzai, associate director of foreign policy at the Independent Women's Forum, and Ambassador David Kux, senior policy scholar in the Asia program at the Woodrow Wilson Center, talk with host Carol Castiel about progress made and obstacles that remain in a country where a resurgent Taliban and corruption bedevil long-term development prospects.

Muslim Women in the U.S.

info@iwf.org (Halima Karzai) — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 17:28:00 EDT

An article in the Dallas Daily News does an excellent job highlighting how Muslim women feel about practicing their religion freely in the U.S., particularly when being able to distinguish and question differences between culture and Islam.

It's a stereotypical image, to be sure: a Muslim woman covered head-to-toe, her head held low in apparent subjection.

Maybe it's a common scene in some parts of the world, but in the United States, it's a different picture. Certainly, some Muslim women in the U.S. wear traditional dress, such as the head scarf known as the hijab, but most do not. And though many unequivocally accept Islam, plenty of Muslim women in the U.S. feel comfortable enough to question its customs.

"America is a good place for Muslims to freely explore issues," said Louay Safi, executive director of the Islamic Society of North America, which in 2006 named Ingrid Mattson as the association's first female president. "Given the freedom this country offers, there is room to have meaningful debate on important issues."

No doubt, American women of other faiths also have issues with some of their religions' practices while accepting others. Consider the Catholic woman who might agree with the church's stance on abortion but not on birth control. Or the Jewish woman who lights the Sabbath candles each Friday but doesn't keep kosher.

But other religions rarely carry the same baggage in a post-Sept. 11 world, where stereotypical images of cloaked Muslim women continually play out in the media, yet have little to do with being a Muslim woman in the U.S.

Read full article here.

Moroccan Feminists - A Healthy Exchange of Different Views

info@iwf.org (Halima Karzai) — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 17:07:00 EDT

The International Herald Tribune ran an interesting article about 2 Moroccan women who both are working for the advancement of women's rights and yet have two distinctive approaches on how it should be done.

Morocco's dueling feminists are part and parcel of a political struggle taking place across the region. Secular democratic and human-rights activists keep their distance from Islamic activists, arguing that the religion is autocratic and wants to use democratic measures only to impose its rules on marriage, dress, and social and sexual mores.

Islamists counter that religious teachings and human rights aren't at odds. They charge that their adversaries want to suppress their freedoms, effectively putting the secularists in league with dictatorships that rule most of the Middle East.

Regardless of different views, it's great to see a vibrant and healthy exchange of ideas among Moroccan women who essentially have the same goals but just different ways of attaining them.

Full article.

First Lady's Support and Appeal for Afghanistan

info@iwf.org (Halima Karzai) — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 15:27:00 EDT

As the Taliban and al-Qaeda terrorists vow continued attacks throughout Afghanistan to deter the international community's support, Laura Bush's visit to Afghanistan established a uniform call between the Afghan and American people to the international community that Afghanistan cannot be abandoned in the face of resurging terrorists.

Since 2001, Mrs. Bush has urged continued support for Afghan women. In her recent visit, she pledged $80 million for education programs in the country.

Mrs. Bush stated, "It's more important than ever for the international community to continue to support Afghanistan - certainly for the U.S. to continue to support Afghanistan...".

She continued, "It's very important for the international community to redouble their efforts so that the word gets out to the people of Afghanistan that the rest of the world is with you and that we're not going to leave you right now while the Taliban and al-Qaeda are trying to intimidate you."

The New York Times reported on her visit, saying:

Mrs. Bush's visit was a demonstration of support for Mr. Karzai and his government as it prepared to ask for about $50 billion in pledges of assistance from international donors at the conference this week. Mrs. Bush said she would attend the conference.

As Afghanistan continues to make slow strides, it's great to see that Mrs. Bush displayed her commitment to the Afghan people, particularly to women and girls. Her visit to Mrs. Habiba Sorabi, Afghanistan's first female governor was a reminder that this would never have occurred when the Taliban were ruling, but with continued international support, Afghanistan and its women will prosper.

Tackling Afghanistan's Food Shortage Crisis

info@iwf.org (Halima Karzai) — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 14:21:00 EDT

Poverty has always been an obstacle to stability in Afghanistan, but current food prices have made this problem much worse. If the agriculture and technology advancements needed to make Afghanistan a self-sustaining nation are not quickly provided by the international community, Afghanistan's growing poverty problem could breed violence and possibly push Afghans into the hands of the Taliban.

Over the past 6 years, billions of dollars of aid have been allocated to Afghanistan, yet the country remains one of the poorest in the world. With an economy substantially dependent on opium production, 85% of the population relies on agriculture as their livelihood.

Soaring food prices, food shortages, price inflation, the drought, and a lack of seeds and agricultural technology are forcing millions of Afghans to be dependent on international food aid.

With 70% of a family's income spent on food, families throughout several provinces have been forced to sell their children to make ends meet temporarily. Widows and households headed by women are also vulnerable because they are forced to become beggars.

The International Committee of the Red Cross has warned that "the global food crisis may degenerate into violence and further armed conflict." This disturbing prediction could become reality if international attention is not placed on long-term agriculture and infrastructural rehabilitation in Afghanistan.

Already food scarcity has bred violence. Afghanistan's neighboring country Pakistan has closed its borders to exports, as it also suffers from a food shortage and inflation, and is taking extreme measures to enforce the policy. Most recently, a 7-year-old girl carrying 6 lbs of wheat was caught by Pakistani border police and run over by a truck as a deterrent to other Afghans hoping to feed their families across the border.

Yet daily, Afghan children who should be in schools are forced to smuggle flour and other food from Pakistan, where the products are cheaper, into Afghanistan.

Rather than increased international pressure on the Afghan government to eradicate the growing cultivation of poppies, the international community should ensure sustainable routes are in place so Afghanistan is not long plagued by poppy cultivation. Advanced quality seeding, power and water supply, and capacity to maximize land usage should be viable substitutes for deprived Afghan farmers who currently have no choice but to turn to poppy farming as a result of a lack in agricultural development and an efficient irrigation system.

A strong agriculture sector that provides for storage facilities and marketing of products can reduce poppy cultivation and prevent those lacking the necessary means to grow alternative crops from turning to opium production. Building infrastructure and a strong agricultural market will also aid the Afghan economy and create jobs, which would be vital in a country with alarming rates of unemployment.

Receiving international assistance to the food crisis is only a short-term solution. In order for Afghanistan to secure its position as a democratic state, it must have a developed agricultural sector and infrastructure. It can only achieve those goals with the help of the international community. The rising food costs could further threaten the country's stability as poverty will breed violence and steer Afghans, particularly children, to al-Qaeda and the Taliban who will pay them to become suicide bombers or to set road side bombs.

Food security is an important part of a democratic Afghan government's stability. Afghans want nothing more than to be less dependent on the international community. Creating a viable, vibrant agriculture industry is a first step toward true independence for Afghanistan. Strong agriculture infrastructure will reduce the need of Afghans to turn to terrorism to alleviate financial difficulties. It will create employment, free youth from the burden of supporting their families so they can gain an education, and also prevent them from being recruited by terrorists. These developments would not only benefit Afghan citizens, but would improve stability in the region and throughout the world.

No nation will support the path of democracy if they are deprived of food and a means to support their families. It is in the best interest of the international community to help Afghanistan be a self-sustaining nation by investing in a reliable infrastructure and wide spread agricultural development to ensure Afghans are involved in prolonged success for themselves and their nation.

2008 State Department Human Trafficking Report

info@iwf.org (Halima Karzai) — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 09:56:00 EDT

The Department of State has released their 2008 Human Trafficking Report. To read the full report, click here.

Bahrain's New U.S. Envoy

info@iwf.org (Halima Karzai) — Fri, 30 May 2008 12:40:00 EDT

From the BBC:

Bahrain's king has appointed a Jewish woman as the country's envoy to the United States.

Houda Nonoo said she was proud to serve her country "first of all as a Bahraini" and that she was not chosen for the post because of her religion.

She is believed to be the Arab world's first Jewish ambassador.

Ms Nonoo, 43, has served as a legislator in Bahrain's 40-member Shura Council for three years and is head of the Bahrain Human Rights Watch.

"It is a great honour to have been appointed as the first female ambassador to the United States of America and I am looking forward to meeting this new challenge," Ms Nonoo told the Associated Press news agency.

Complete story here.

The Andy Caldwell Show: Violence Against Afghan Women

info@iwf.org (Halima Karzai) — Wed, 28 May 2008 20:08:00 EDT

IWF Associate Director for Foreign Policy and International Women's Issues Halima Karzai joined The Andy Caldwell Show to discuss the brutal treatment of Afghan women.

Saudi Migrant Workers Subject to Abuse

info@iwf.org (Halima Karzai) — Wed, 28 May 2008 13:47:00 EDT

The President recently challenged Saudi Arabia to release more oil. The U.S. and international community should also pressure Saudi Arabia to improve their human rights record, in particular their treatment of women and migrant workers.

According to Human Rights Watch, Saudi Arabia employs approximately 8 million migrant workers. Foreign workers come to Saudi Arabia to earn money to send back to their families and to escape poverty themselves. To secure their residency, workers must obtain an invitation and sponsorship from local Saudi employers.

Unfortunately, this practice puts those workers at the mercy of their employers who can withhold their passport and other legal documentation and prevent them for leaving their jobs. Some workers are even denied their earnings and subject to harsh conditions unspecified in their contract.

Female domestic workers have particular challenges and are vulnerable to exploitation. Some are forced to live in complete isolation and forbidden to leave the home in which they work. In addition to being overworked and underpaid, female migrant workers also face the risk of enduring physical and sexual abuse at the hands of their employers. Even when abuse is reported by foreign workers, it is extremely rare for Saudi employers to be prosecuted.

For example, the BBC recently reported that a Saudi couple who was accused of brutally abusing their Indonesian maid had their charges dropped by Saudi judges. Initially the maid, Nour Miyati, was sentenced to 70 lashes for falsely accusing her employers of mistreatment. Finally, she was awarded $670 in damages, hardly commensurate with the atrocious cruelty she suffered during her employment.

Most recently, a shelter holding Yemeni migrants was allegedly set on fire by Saudi authorities. Despite serious injuries, they were taken into custody for interrogation for two days without food or medical attention.

These are just more unfortunate reminders to the international community that foreigners living in Saudi Arabia face discrimination and are unable to receive equal treatment before the legal system.

It's not just foreigners, of course, who fail to find justice in Saudi Arabia. Women are routinely punished for crimes committed against them. In 2006, a Saudi woman was gang raped and later sentenced to 200 lashes and 6 months in prison. This caused a worldwide uproar which later resulted in the "gracious" pardon of the victim by King Abdullah.

Western governments and international human rights institutions must place pressure on the Saudi government to be more responsive in addressing charges of misconduct against migrant workers, and women generally. Governments whose citizens are migrant workers should take measures to ensure Saudi employment sponsors do not mistreat their employees.

UAE Honors Business Women

info@iwf.org (Halima Karzai) — Thu, 22 May 2008 12:21:00 EDT

The United Arab Emirates, in its growing prosperity has also ensured success for Emirati women. This is a sure way to encourage continued growth of Emirati women and will hopefully set an example to surrounding nations in the Middle East who exercise oppressive measures on women.

Shaikh Saeed Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum presented awards to eight winners of the Emirates Business Women's Award 2008, organised by the Dubai Quality Group and Shell.

Shaikh Saeed also gave special recognition to Princess Haya Bint Al Hussain, wife of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, for her selfless dedication and contribution to the development of women.

The winner for the overall award in the professional category was Maryam Sharaf, group chief financial officer of Dubai World.

"Our nation has certainly come a long way in the past few decades and this is primarily due to the visionary leadership of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad, who has encouraged and urged women to actively partake in contributing to the national economy," Sharaf said.

"Our country offers incredible opportunities to everyone, irrespective of their gender, and it is up to us to explore our potential and push ourselves hard to achieve our dreams."

Kuwaiti Women Setting Path for Saudi Women?

info@iwf.org (Halima Karzai) — Thu, 22 May 2008 12:00:00 EDT

Lessons from the Kuwaiti Election in today's Arab News is an interesting article that outlines why the struggle for the political participation of women in Saudi Arabia must continue even through slow progress.

In an article for Al-Riyadh Arabic newspaper, Hatoon Al-Fassi wrote about Saudi Arabia's municipality elections that are set to take place at the end of next year. She reminded readers of the outcome of the first elections and the fact that, for several reasons, women did not vote in them.

The official reason was that having women candidates was going to be the second step after establishing the idea of elections and, as far as women voters were concerned, it was said that there were no facilities for women at the polling stations. Whatever we choose to believe, the fact remains that women were not part of the experience and now, a full year before the second municipal elections, women's voices are being heard, demanding that this time they be allowed to participate.

It is anyone's guess as to what will happen but Saudi women need to look closely at the Kuwaiti experience in order to gain more insight into women and elections. In the wake of the recent Kuwaiti elections, we are left with many facts to consider. One of these is that despite their large numbers, Kuwaiti women failed to put their candidates into Parliament.

We are told that women amount to 58 percent of Kuwait's voters which should have given them a better than average chance of electing members to Parliament - but it didn't happen. Among the reasons analysts cite is that women don't have much of a chance in a tribal society; another point is that many women voters do not support women candidates.

Yet some point out the fact that one woman managed to get 5,000 votes - which might reflect a change on the way in Kuwait. Many say that women's political experience is still limited and that things will take time but that the day will come when women are elected to Parliament.

How much of this can we relate to Saudi women? How much is applicable to us?

...

We need to bear in mind that women - whether Kuwaiti or Saudi - are not the most dedicated supporters of women's demands and women's rights. In fact, there are many women in the Kingdom who are strongly opposed to women's participation in politics. Realistic thought suggests that the situation will remain the way it is for some time.

In other words, women might not get their deserved chance next time around. That does not mean, however, that we should stop calling for our rights or working for them.

We have to keep up the momentum, remain united in our aims and realize that the changes are well worth the fight needed to obtain them.

Click here for full article.

Kuwaiti Women Determined to Win in a Man's World

info@iwf.org (Halima Karzai) — Fri, 16 May 2008 15:50:00 EDT

With parliamentary elections less than 24-hours away, Kuwaiti women are determined to win seats based on merit. They serve as a great model for neighboring Saudi Arabia where women don't even have the right to vote.

Whether swathed in Islamic veils or dressed in Western suits, Kuwaiti women are campaigning hard to win parliamentary seats in Saturday's election.

They failed to take any at the last vote in 2006 and once again face an uphill struggle attracting voters in a conservative and male-dominated Gulf Arab state.

"There are a lot of challenges but there is also a positive wave... voters think why not try women? We tried men for years," said Rola Dashti, one of 27 women running against 246 men.

Kuwait's 50-member National Assembly passed a law in 2005 granting women the right to vote and run for office for the first time since its creation in 1962.

Some have suggested introducing a quota for women in the assembly, a system already in place in several Arab countries.

But many women are opposed to such positive discrimination and would prefer to win on merit, even if it takes years.

Hessah Mohammed, another female voter, said: "God willing women will enter the parliament. If there are qualified and capable women ... women will win."

Click here for more.

Rwandan Women Improve Economic Conditions

info@iwf.org (Halima Karzai) — Fri, 16 May 2008 15:06:00 EDT

In today's Washington Post, Anthony Faiola writes a great piece on the role gender empowerment can play in helping post-conflict economies. In this article, Rwandan women exemplify the economic impact women can make on their economy when empowered.

In the 14 years since the genocide, when 800,000 people died during three months of violence, this country has become perhaps the world's leading example of how empowering women can fundamentally transform post-conflict economies and fight the cycle of poverty. That is particularly clear here in Maraba, a southern village where a host of women -- largely relegated to backbreaking field work in the days before the genocide -- found unwanted opportunity in the fertile lands they would inherit from slaughtered husbands, fathers and brothers.

As both female and male survivors sought to rebuild coffee plantations with financial and technical assistance from international organizations, Maraba's women, most trying their hands at the business of farming for the first time, were by far the faster students. They showed more willingness than men, officials here said, to embrace new techniques aimed at improving quality and profit. Now, Maraba's female farmers are outdoing their male counterparts in both, numbering about half of all farmers in the village's coffee cooperative but producing 90 percent of its finest quality beans for export.

The march of female entrepreneurialism, playing out here and across Rwanda in industries from agribusiness to tourism, has proved to be a windfall for efforts to rebuild the nation and fight poverty. Women more than men invest profits in the family, renovate homes, improve nutrition, increase savings rates and spend on children's education, officials here said.

It speaks to a seismic shift in gender economics in Rwanda's post-genocide society, one that is altering the way younger generations of males view their mothers and sisters while offering a powerful lesson for other developing nations struggling to rebuild from the ashes of conflict.

"Rwanda's economy has risen up from the genocide and prospered greatly on the backs of our women," said Agnes Matilda Kalibata, minister of state in charge of agriculture. "Bringing women out of the home and fields has been essential to our rebuilding. In that process, Rwanda has changed forever. . . . We are becoming a nation that understands that there are huge financial benefits to equality."

Read complete article here.

IWF Podcast: 2008 Election Youth Vote

info@iwf.org (Halima Karzai) info@iwf.org (Allison Kasic) — Fri, 16 May 2008 10:20:00 EDT

IWF's Halima Karzai and Allison Kasic discuss the 2008 election, focusing on the youth vote and issues of concern to younger voters.

Even After Taliban, Violence Against Women Remains

info@iwf.org (Halima Karzai) — Tue, 13 May 2008 11:18:00 EDT

The brutal treatment of Afghan women at the hands of the Taliban became common knowledge in 2001 when the United States removed the brutal regime from power. The Taliban stood out for aggressively and publicly oppressing and abusing women. Yet oppression and violence against Afghan women existed well before the Taliban era and continues to exist today.

After the Soviet withdrawal in 1989, when many internal factions were fighting amongst each other for power, women bore the brunt of sexual, physical, and psychological abuses. The individuals from those factions are today's warlords and in spite of being among the worst human rights violators - they sit in very high level official seats today. They are making decisions that again affect the lives of the poor Afghan grandmothers, mothers, daughters, and sisters who they do not recognize as human beings.

There has been significant progress for Afghan women on many levels since the fall of the Taliban. Yet today over 80 percent of women throughout the country continue to suffer from domestic violence. And the challenge isn't limited to domestic violence, but also societal and state violence.

While laws are in place to protect women, they hardly function in practice. A woman who attempts to escape domestic violence or who is raped often finds herself and her young children sharing a jail cell with food and clothing for only the mother.

Human trafficking is also a problem in Afghanistan. Women and young children are often sold into prostitution or forced labor. Although they have been forcibly trafficked, survivors are often imprisoned for adultery or lewd conduct. If they are children, they are put into orphanages, only to be victimized more. There are no efforts made towards their rehabilitation or reunification with their families.

Unfortunately, this is all too often not the exception but the continuing norm, and constitutes a failure of the justice system in Afghanistan.

There are several national and international laws in place to protect specific rights of Afghan women, but the biggest barrier to the effective implementation of these laws is cultural and tribal traditions that limit women's understanding of and willingness to make use of those laws.

Involving men is an important step to truly empowering Afghan women. Afghanistan is a patriarchal society that will take decades, if not centuries, to change. For the time, due to oppressive social norms, men are often reluctant to allow their wives to leave the home, let alone to explore the possibility of working. However, there are several progressive programs in various provinces run by local civil society organizations that include both women and men. For example, couples can attend literacy classes together. These types of programs help in couples jointly advancing their family and life, and encourage a greater sense of equality.

These civil institutions are the key to long term change. Societal change, as well as a specific commitment to helping Afghan women obtain access to the information, as well as facilities and resources will be necessary to address the problem of domestic violence and other violence against women and to help cultivate a greater respect for women as individuals.

The Afghan government and international community have laid an excellent foundation for the critical work that needs to be done for the advancement of women's socio-political rights, however, much work remains to be done in the recognition and enforcement of human rights laws.

Dying Together

info@iwf.org (Halima Karzai) — Tue, 06 May 2008 11:36:00 EDT

The article "If we die, we will die together," in quqnoos.com highlights one of several thousand stories occurring in Afghanistan today. The sky rocketing prices of wheat and rice and the food shortage crisis is forcing families to sell their children so that they can make their ends meet.

Mother's plea to husband who sold daughters for food and water
"If we die, we will die together."

These were the words a Kabul mother used to beg her husband to buy back her two children who he sold to buy food for his starving family.

The mother of six told Quqnoos.com that her husband sold her two daughters, aged four and two, because he could not afford to buy drinking water for his family.

"My husband said, ‘I'm going to sell these children to provide food for our other children'. But I said, ‘if we die we will die together' I can't stand to see my children with another family."

The husband agreed to buy back her two young daughters after she screamed at him for days.

One of the girls' brothers said: "When my father took my sisters off to sell them I was crying but I know my father did this because he had to."

One of the sisters said: "We don't have money to buy food: that is why my father sold my two sisters."

The husband said Kabul council had bulldozed their previous home and failed to provide his family with a new home, depsite numerous promises.

The family now lives in the capital's Kai Khana area, where they rent a house close to the Presidential Palace.

Over the last month, the cost of bread has doubled in some parts of the country. America warned last week that the rising cost of wheat, the lack of rain and export bans on flour to Afghanistan will likely increase the risk of serious food shortages in the country.

The US government's development agency, USAID, also predicts a below-average wheat harvest next month because crops have had about 50-90% less water than last year.

Provinces such as Ghor, Badghis, Daykundi, Badakhshan, Faryab, Urzgan, Zabul, Wardak, and Logar are most at risk from food shortages, the agency said.

The hike in the cost of wheat is most pronounced in Faizabad, Badakhshan, where prices are 157% higher than the five year average, Mazar-e-Sharif (151% above average), and Herat (13% above average). Since January, the cost of bread in Kabul has risen from Afg6 to Afg20 in some parts of the city.

IWF Podcast: Campus Living Wage Mandates

info@iwf.org (Halima Karzai) info@iwf.org (Allison Kasic) — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 13:27:00 EDT

Halima Karzai and Allison Kasic discuss campus living wage mandates.