In the UK, a dispute has erupted between the government and army commanders who complain their troops are insufficiently equipped while among US troops, 30 soldiers have died in the first three weeks of July alone.The number of Afghan civilians who died as a result of this escalation is not known, but what is clear is that the ambitious goals for the transformation, reconstruction and development of Afghanistan that were set under the Bonn Agreement in 2001 are still far from being reached.
In the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks and the run-up to the war, the horrendous situation of Afghan women under Taliban rule was often cited as a justification for the intervention. A few weeks into the conflict, Laura Bush, then first lady, announced that "because of our recent military gains in much of Afghanistan, women are no longer imprisoned in their homes. The fight against terrorism is also a fight for the rights and dignity of women."
In 2002, International Women's Day focused on Afghan women and Afghan President Hamid Karzai, with the backing of the international community, pledged to “improve the lot of women after all their suffering under the narrow-minded and oppressive rule of the Taliban.”
But, as a recent report prepared by the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights highlights, these promises have not been kept. There were some important gains: the 25 percent quota for women in parliament sets an example for many countries, including Turkey; a National Action Plan for Women was adopted and a provision on gender equality was included in the Afghan constitution. But the pervasive climate of violence, and above all a “deeply entrenched culture of impunity” is creating a very insecure environment for Afghan women and threatening to undermine these achievements.
Dedicated to the memory of Sitara Achakzai, a Kandahar Provincial Council member killed in April 2009, and Malalai Kakar, the highest-ranking female police officer in Kandahar, killed in September 2008, the report focuses on the violence that increasingly prevents the participation of women in public life and on the issue of rape, which is endemic.
The death of female officials is only the tip of the iceberg, the authors of the report explain. Women have been killed or face harassment for holding a job, for teaching, for working in healthcare or simply for leaving their home without a male chaperone. Bills posted in mosques declaring them and their husbands un-Islamic or threatening phone calls have led many women to restrict their own movements. Although the number of female candidates in the upcoming provincial council elections is up compared to 2005, several female MPs told the authors of the report that they would not contest their national assembly seat in 2010. The authorities have so far done little to increase security for women.
Rape is an everyday occurrence across the country and mainly targets young girls and women, from 7 to 30 years old. In the northern region, 39 percent of cases involved perpetrators linked to power brokers “who are, effectively, above the law and enjoy immunity from arrest as well as immunity from social condemnation.” When women complain about being raped, they face the risk of being accused of zina (adultery).
The authorities' reluctance to champion women's rights was further demonstrated when parliament approved the Shiite Personal Status Law earlier this year. The law made the bride's virginity a condition for the validity of the marriage, obliged a wife to obey her husband in sexual matters and allowed women to leave their homes only for “legitimate purposes.” The law also implicitly condoned underage marriage.
The international outcry forced President Karzai to backtrack and order a review of the legislation, but its initial adoption suggests that the government is willing to accommodate conservative views and the use of religion as a tool to marginalize women. While the international community reflects on the rising financial and human cost of the current offensive against the Taliban, it might be a good time to reassess what ultimate purpose it is meant to serve and how it can be achieved.
