Afghanistan: U.S. First Lady Urged to Support Women

(New York, May 10, 2002) - Human Rights Watch today released a letter to U.S. first lady Laura Bush, urging her to increase support for Afghan women's security concerns.

This will be an enormous opportunity for Mrs. Bush to push for greater participation of Afghan women in the rebuilding of the country. But women can't help rebuild the country if they are too afraid to leave home. The international community must act now to improve security conditions throughout Afghanistan and to end violence against women. LaShawn R. Jefferson   Executive Director of the Women's Rights Division of Human Rights Watch

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Mrs. Bush is on a ten-day official tour of Europe during which she will highlight U.S. efforts to rebuild Afghanistan. She will act as President Bush's official representative and will meet with a number of European ambassadors and organizations that support reconstruction aid and development for Afghanistan.  
 
Human Rights Watch has recently released a briefing paper on the violence and insecurity that Afghan women still face.  
 
"This will be an enormous opportunity for Mrs. Bush to push for greater participation of Afghan women in the rebuilding of the country," said LaShawn R. Jefferson, Executive Director of the Women's Rights Division of Human Rights Watch. "But women can't help rebuild the country if they are too afraid to leave home. The international community must act now to improve security conditions throughout Afghanistan and to end violence against women."  
 
Human Rights Watch said that the priority now is to support security arrangements for areas outside of Kabul and efforts to disarm commanders and forces that are implicated in war crimes or serious human rights violations.  
 
The rebuilding work in Afghanistan also requires that direct financial and programmatic assistance be channeled to the Afghan Ministry for Women's Affairs.  
 
Human Rights Watch also urged Mrs. Bush to call on the Interim Administration to undertake public education campaigns to communicate its commitment to Afghan women's equality in all spheres of Afghan society.