Urge the United States House of Representatives, the United States Senate, and President Obama to pass the Afghan Women Empowerment Act in the 112th session of congress.

What is the Afghan Women Empowerment Act?

The Afghan Women Empowerment Act (H.R.2214, S.229), was sponsored by U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and U.S. Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY 14), during the 111th session of congress.  The legislation would provide critical resources for Afghan women for literacy education, technical and vocational training and health care services that would reduce maternal and infant mortality. The bill will also fund programs to protect women and girls against sexual and physical abuse, abduction, trafficking, exploitation, and includes emergency shelters for women and girls who face danger from violence. However, now the bill needs to get re-introduced in the 112th session of congress.

The Problem

Under the oppressive rule of the Taliban, the women of Afghanistan were denied the most basic human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the rights to life, work, education, health care, movement, expression, and religion.

Many women who attempted to assert their rights under the Taliban regime were subjected to beatings and imprisonments, and many suffer from the long-term consequences of such oppression.

Despite the various efforts made by the United Nations, the international community, and the U.S. government to improve the lives of women and girls in war-torn Afghanistan, little progress has been made. Many women and girls continue to lack access to basic services, including health care and education. Approximately 80 percent of Afghan women are illiterate.

Hospitals and clinics are scarce, poorly staffed and dramatically under-equipped. Women, especially those in the rural areas, do not have access to even the most basic health care services. Currently, Afghanistan has a very high maternal and infant mortality rate; for every six births, one mother will die as a result of inadequate access to medical attention.  The U.S. Congress has found that, women in Afghanistan have one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world, with an estimated 1,600 deaths per every 100,000 live births.

Even though women were granted certain rights in a new national constitution, Afghan women face violence and intimidation in their everyday lives. Oppression of women has increased recently as a result of the resurgence of the Taliban and other religious extremists. These groups have been responsible for scores of attacks against school girls and teachers to prevent them from obtaining an education. In certain parts of Afghanistan, women must still wear the head-to-toe burka and are constrained from participating in public life.

Today, women and girls in Afghanistan still face oppression resulting from violence and intimidation by the Taliban, other religious extremists, and militia groups within their communities. In recent months, there has been a significant increase in the number of attacks against girls' schools in an attempt to prevent women and girls from regaining their rights and freedoms.

 According to the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, the absence of clear protections for the right to freedom of religion or belief for individual Afghan citizens has resulted in a growing number of criminal prosecutions and other official actions against individuals, including women, for exercising their basic rights.

The Solution

The strengthening of institutions and other actors, such as nongovernmental organizations, in Afghanistan is essential to building a civil society and holding the Government of Afghanistan to its international obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and other international instruments to protect and ensure the rights of women.

The Afghan Women Empowerment Act (H.R.2214, S.229), will fully commit the U.S. government in helping advance the rights and well-being of Afghan women. It will provide necessary equipment, medical supplies, and other healthcare assistance in order to reduce maternal and infant mortality. Women and children will have greater access to life-saving immunizations. Constant exposure to violence can have detrimental effects on the mental health of women; this bill will establish programs to provide mental health services.

In addition, the Afghan Women Empowerment Act (H.R.2214, S.229), would establish primary and secondary schools for girls that will offer mathematics, sciences, and languages as well as expand technical and vocational training for women to develop skills needed to support their families. Funding would be provided for programs to protect women and girls against various forms of violence such as sexual assault, physical abuse, trafficking, abduction, and exploitation. This includes developing emergency shelters for women and girls who are facing danger and violence.

What will the Afghan Women Empowerment Act dp?

The Afghan Women Empowerment Act (H.R.2214, S.229), expresses the the sense of Congress that the protection of the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan and their full participation in the reestablishment of democracy are essential to Afghanistan's reconstruction, and to achieve such reconstruction the U.S. government must commit resources to advance the rights of women throughout Afghanistan.

The Afghan Women Empowerment Act (H.R.2214, S.229), would amend  the Afghan Freedom Support Act of 2002 to revise the provisions respecting assistance to women and girls in Afghanistan, and extends funding authority.  The Afghan Women's Empowerment Act of 2007 will authorize $30 million a year for three years for women-led nonprofits that are providing education, adult literacy and vocational training, and health care for Afghan women and girls. Additionally, the Act authorizes $5 million a year for three years for the Ministry of Women's Affairs and $10 million a year for the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission.

What can you do to get the Afghan Women Empowerment Act passed?

Please write to and/or call your U.S. Representatives and Senators and President Obama tell them to pass the Afghan Women Empowerment Act in the 112th congress. Also ask your U.S. Representatives and Senators to co-sponsor the Afghan Women Empowerment Act.

http://feministmajority.org, http://www.now.org