Afghan Women Shaping Future Security, Bringing Brighter Potential to Afghanistan by Lieutenant Victoria Tobin RC-N
BALKH, Afghanistan (June 25, 2011)- More than seven-dozen participants attended the first-ever, combined, northern women’s security shura this week in Mazar-e Sharif to discuss women’s roles in peace and security.
The event, hosted on Camp Marmal by women leaders, ISAF coalition female engagement teams and Regional Command North, invited women from all walks of life, including Afghan National Security Forces and ministry members, to share stories and discuss how to improve safety and overall conditions for women and girls in their communities.
Mulholland stressed that many of the women had faced decades of struggles and still face numerous struggles today, but that they were living proof of how they have endured, making the day’s focus that of improving the lives of Afghanistan women, a critical juncture for future planning. Mulholland thanked the participants for their commitment, leadership and courage to speak up and speak out.
As part of the shura, the women divided into four separate groups to openly discuss topics such as defining and increasing women’s roles as a key part of the peace and security process, improving basic livelihood and conditions and how to give women a more active voice in Afghanistan’s future. “The women in Afghanistan are our witness to how hard we work and how difficult it is for us,” said Ms. Bibi Haji Rabbani, wife of former Afghanistan president Burhanuddin Rabbani, a shura presenter and participant, “but we see a bright future and thank the partnerships for supporting Afghanistan as we learn to build our own future.”
Another presenter, Lt. Col. Najiba of the Afghan National Police highlighted the role Afghan women have in other women’s lives. She encouraged them to strengthen these relationships with other women and to further the bonds and commitment women share with each other.
“Afghan women have been very vulnerable—no one can fully grasp the challenges we face, but knowing the challenges can help us better understand them,” said Najiba, “and I am happy to take part in a gathering where women can get together to share views and ideas and improve Afghan society and the lives of Afghan women.”
Participants highlighted the importance of education which was a main theme throughout the shura. The group discussed potential solutions to other challenges including improving women’s medical care, improving access to transportation, giving women the chance to have their voices heard and better opportunities for seeking and landing jobs to support their families. This included opening more doors in government jobs and in Afghan police forces.
“A big challenge is recruiting and training more female police officers,” said Swedish Army Major Linda Johansson, community gender advisor and head of RC North’s Baghlan female engagement team. “Hiring more female police officers and getting them placed will give females more trusted community mentors to approach.”
Johansson said that events such as this women’s security shura are even more important in light of a recent poll ranking Afghanistan as the most dangerous country for women. This recent expert poll, by Thomas Reuters foundation, found that compared to other countries, Afghanistan has extraordinarily high rates of domestic violence, poverty, gender-related abuses and killing, acid attacks and deaths related to the low rate of prioritized healthcare for women.
The shura participants discussed ways of reducing these startling statistics by providing educational and employment opportunities for women, especially in remote areas and working with the Department of Women’s Affairs and other governmental agencies to keep women’s issues in the forefront of the peace and security effort. Participants emphasized that there was a lot of work to be done and they will continue pursuing a safer and more secure life for the women of Afghanistan and a more peaceful future for the entire country.
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