The drive for gender equality in Afghanistan
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Afghan women are celebrating this International Women’s Day with great uncertainty, as they do not know what the future holds for them in terms of their rights and roles in public and social life. As the Taliban regime consolidates its power, the question of women’s rights is in the limelight of national politics as well as international debate. Many in the outside world limit their discussion of the subject of Afghan women to the Taliban’s rule, often ignoring the sociocultural evolution of gender roles in the country.
During the past two decades of international engagement, Afghanistan has made great strides in facilitating women’s participation in politics and social and public life, as well as in their access to economic opportunities. The legal framework was improved in order for women to reach their full potential. Afghanistan became one of the few countries in the world to have more than a quarter of seats in parliament reserved for women. Women were also able to run for other seats just like their male counterparts. Among our international partners, the World Bank and the US Agency for International Development were particularly instrumental in pushing the women’s empowerment agenda in all of their development initiatives. Such measures benefited millions of women across the country and laid the foundation for their inclusion in development and governance.
Women’s worldwide struggle for basic human rights and public and civic engagement spans many centuries. Afghanistan’s case is no exception. Afghanistan’s gender equality issues do not stem as much from religion as from centuries-old traditions and customs. Prophet Muhammad put the greatest trust in his own wife, Khadija, who became the first person to embrace Islam and fully supported the Prophet in his mission. Islam strictly forbids attacking women during war, given that human history is full of horrific stories of women being attacked, humiliated, raped and killed during hostilities.
A brave Afghan girl called Malala of Maiwand is widely remembered by Afghans and Pashtuns for her heroism during the Second Afghan-Anglo War of 1878-1880. Despite Afghanistan being a largely patriarchal society, women have remained relevant throughout our national history. The Taliban’s attitude to women — completely isolating them from public life — is disconnected from the historic reality of the country.
The Taliban’s attitude to women — completely isolating them from public life — is disconnected from the historic reality of the country.
Ajmal Shams
Today’s Afghanistan is quite different from the Afghanistan of the 1990s. During the Taliban’s previous rule, Afghanistan was in complete isolation. In today’s world, thanks to the internet and social media, as well as televisions and radios, it is virtually impossible to silence women’s voices. It simply does not work, even for the Taliban. Both Islamic and Afghan values are compatible with women’s participation in public life. Pakistan, a Muslim-majority country with a strong sociocultural similarity to Afghanistan, twice elected a woman prime minister, the late Benazir Bhutto.
There is also another largely unspoken side of women’s empowerment in Afghanistan. The life of an average woman in Afghanistan has received little attention compared to women in the urban centers, who have access to the media and public exposure. It makes little sense for a woman from the elite class to represent the millions living in remote corners of the country. When it comes to fundamental issues facing the women of Afghanistan, the voices of the silent majority are hardly heard. It is very painful when a few elite women working for nongovernmental organizations and civil society groups build their career on female empowerment projects without any genuine commitment. This status quo must change. Having said that, let us also not forget those courageous aid workers, both women and men, who have truly served and are still serving the women of Afghanistan.
Unfortunately, past governments in Afghanistan dealt with the issue of women’s empowerment in symbolic ways — often serving short-term political interests rather than ensuring long-term social change. If Afghan women are to be truly empowered, we need to employ smart strategies of engagement that must be gradual, evolutionary and pragmatic. Bringing social change is not just about good governance, enabling policies and incentives, it is also about changing mindsets so that people are willing to embrace women as equal members of society.
Those that build a career out of women’s advocacy without any genuine commitment to their cause are as guilty as those who deprive women of their rights.
• Ajmal Shams is president of the Afghanistan Social Democratic Party and is based in Kabul. He was a deputyminister in the former Afghan government. Twitter: @ajmshams
