Joint Statement of Women’s Political Participation Committee & Afghanistan Women’s 50% Campaign
On whipping of a girl in Badghis Province of Afghanistan
“Jirgas and customary councils are operating in contravention of the Constitution and international obligations of Afghanistan.”
21st February 2011
The Taliban have whipped a young girl for her opposition to forced marriage in Badghis Province of Afghanistan (Tolou News, 17th February 2011). The incident occurred at the Mangan Village of Balamorghab district of the province. The girl was lashed in public for her refusal to get married to an old man. The reports indicated that a Pakistani commander of the Taliban in the province ordered the lashing. Pictures show that the girl was lying on the ground, while two Taliban members were holding her hands and a third member was lashing her. Mowlavi Khodadad Saleh, president of the Western Zone Ulema Council, called that action inhuman and said: “Those actions are carried out on purpose to harm Islam. Those actions are unacceptable and contrary to Islam.” Nobody has so far been arrested in this connection and the governor of Badghis has said he had no knowledge of the incident.
Recent events such as several cases of stoning, lashing of women in public, raping women and honour killings are shocking, and bitter and indicate the absence of the rule of law nationally as well as the weak functioning of the three branches of the State. The lack of knowledge of the highest executive official in the province is another example of lack of accountability of the authorities. We in the ‘Women’s Political Participation Committee’ and ‘Women’s 50% Campaign of Afghanistan’ condemn those criminal actions and demand:
The government
1. To guarantee the physical and financial security of all the people, as expressly provided for in the Constitution, and to prevent the recurrence of those horrendous and inhuman actions;
2. To prevent the recognition of customary laws that question the legitimacy of the Constitution and the international obligations of the government of Afghanistan and lead to promotion of traditional justice, the first victims of which will be women’s rights;
3. To do its best to protect women and their rights, as the recent inhuman actions against the women illustrate the vulnerability of half the population, and set the fulfilment of full and equal human rights of women as the foundation for all negotiations and agreements with the political groups, in particular the Taliban;
4. To identify and prosecute the perpetrators and commanders of the recent atrocities as well as to question and prosecute the government officials in whose jurisdiction those incidents have occurred.
The new Parliament of Afghanistan
5. To abolish the discriminatory laws and to pass fair laws in favour of equality, to expand the lawful protection of women and to ensure implementation of the laws throughout Afghanistan by precise monitoring of the operation of the government agencies.
‘Women’s Political Participation Committee’ and ‘Afghanistan Women’s 50% Campaign’
Kabul, Afghanistan
Contact: womenspoliticalparticipation.c@gmail.com
Campaign50darsad@gmail.com
www.Campaign50darsad.blogfa.com
Afghanistan Women’s Political Participation Committee was established in May 2004 in response to requirements of women on the political scene. Since its establishment, the Committee has operated as a pressure group on government agencies. Its activities range from promotion of political awareness among women, encouraging women to stand as candidates and vote in elections, support for women’s participation in the Cabinet and the Supreme Council of Justice, organizing conferences and demonstrations on various occasions, and monitoring the operation of the Parliament and the Government in respect of women.
Afghanistan Women’s 50% Campaign was established by a group of women’s rights, human rights and citizenship rights activists of Afghanistan in May 2009. The group consists of women’s rights activists and defenders who have been pursuing women’s rights and demands through their work in the press, NGOs, social institutions and political parties. The group’s aim is to pursue the basic and fundamental demands of women of Afghanistan in political, social and economic fields.