Whether the topic is Libya's rebels or Afghanistan's “reconciliation” with the Taliban, the pivotal question is, or should be: What about the women?
During my brief tenure as a CNN anchor, I insistently raised this question and was consistently disappointed by the answer, which more or less went like this:
“Yes, well, the women. Too bad about the women. They'll suffer.”
Interview with Elke Jonigkeit: Since 1985 Elke Jonigkeit has traveled through Afghanistan and produced seven films about the country and the women that live there. In 2003, she founded the Nazo training center in Kabul. Elke Jonigkeit is a 2010 award winner of the “Women's Worlds” film festival organized by “Terre des Femmes”. We met in a café in Berlin.
For me there are two reasons to be an MP. First, I come from a political family: my father was also a member of parliament during what we call the "democracy decade" in the 1970s. Second, I've experienced many different problems and discrimination just for being a woman, especially during the Taliban period, and I want to fight for that to change.
I've been fortunate to meet some very talented photographers and film-makers here in Afghanistan. We're planning an Afghan Film Festival for the United States this fall.
One film director Sahraa Karimi has produced an engaging and illuminating documentary called "Afghan Women Behind the Wheel."
By building their own businesses, women in Afghanistan are sustaining their communities through years of conflict. Gayle Tzemach Lemmon's recent book tells one of their stories.
The U.S.-led military campaign in Afghanistan should be brought to a halt because it has solidified, rather than weakened, oppression against women in her home country, Afghan human rights activist Malalai Joya said Saturday.
Recent media reports have focused on the stalled progress for women in Afghanistan and the shift in the international community's focus as they take steps towards an eventual military withdrawl. Although there's much work to be done, it's important to note that there has been tangible improvement for women in Afghanistan. A decade ago, women weren't allowed to go out in public alone.
From the struggle to keep domestic violence shelters open to the machinations of which mullah to align with, a discussion with four Afghan politicians reveals the challenges women face. Helen G reports.
Four Afghan women met in London this International Women's Day to talk with UK women's rights campaigners about their achievements and day-to-day challenges.
An interactive exhibition of life-size photography that re-creates urban and rural life in Afghanistan will begin touring the United States this spring. “Streets of Afghanistan” immerses visitors in an area of the world most will never see, while exploring themes of shared humanity and compassion.
A couple of weeks ago I alerted you all to a concerning move by the Government of Afghanistan to take over women's shelters in the country. Many of you responded to this issue by writing to your Ambassadors in Kabul and to other key players. Thank you!
