Email from Barbara Boxer: Help Needed for Afghan Women

Dear Friend:

I recently introduced legislation to help strengthen and empower women and girls in Afghanistan by providing critical resources to non-governmental organizations that work to promote literacy, job training programs and health care services.

More than four years after the invasion of Afghanistan, the women of Afghanistan still face significant hurdles in the areas of basic education and healthcare services as they seek to realize their full potential. But perhaps more troubling is the deteriorating security situation, which threatens to deter and reverse the gains Afghan women have made. As we celebrate International Women’s Day, we must recommit ourselves to working to improve the quality of life for women all around the world, and especially in Afghanistan, where for too long women suffered under the oppressive regime of the Taliban.

The Afghan Women Empowerment Act of 2006 will specifically focus on providing services directly to Afghan women such as adult literacy education, technical and vocational training and health care services, including mental health treatment. It also provides assistance to especially vulnerable populations, including widows and orphans.

This legislation would specifically authorize the President to appropriate $30 million to non-governmental organizations led by Afghan women, $10 million to the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission and $5 million to the Ministry of Women’s Affairs.

President of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai has admitted that we are falling short on the issue of Afghan women, saying, “We have achieved successes in various dimensions during the past four years. But this journey has not ended ... women especially are being oppressed, there are still women and young girls who are being married to settle disputes in Afghanistan, young girls are married against their will.”

The maternal death rate for Afghan women remains tragically high—with an estimated 1,600 deaths for every 100,000 live births. And the illiteracy rate for women continues to hover around 80 percent. In addition, in recent months, attacks against schools that educate girls have increased substantially. As we work to foster democracy in Afghanistan, we must be vigilant in ensuring that women take their rightful place in Afghan society.

Sincerely,

Barbara Boxer
United States Senate

but I think women in Afghanistan are one helluva alot better off now. We should have focused there and not Iraq. Boxer could get a bigger bang for her buck. Like, the NSA wiretapping. Good grief.