News on Women in Afghanistan
Articles referenced below are for informational purposes only, and do not reflect the opinion or policies of UNIFEM and the United Nations. Content is protected under international copyright laws, and should be cited from the original source.
Afghan champion of women’s rights
May 30, 2008 |
Radio Netherlands Worldwide 
By JAMIE VAN WAGTENDONK
In Afghanistan, most people have an opinion about Malalai Joya. She has been called a brave woman and an infidel. She has been described as a leading champion of women's rights in Afghanistan and as a communist, harmful to the fledgling democracy. Through all the controversy surrounding this young activist, her personal story offers a perspective of the fragile democracy in Afghanistan, increasingly fractured by regional, religious and gender divisions...
Vocational training for war-affected women of Afghanistan in Gujarat
May 28, 2008 |
Daily India
By Asian News International
Ahmedabad, May 28: A group of 35 Afghan women in Ahmedabad are being imparted vocational training in an intiative to to rehabilitate war-affected women of Afghanistan. These women were shortlisted for training out of over 500 applicants after taking their written test and interview.They are being presently trained at the Self Employed Women's Association (SEWA) in garment making, food processing and environment regeneration sectors to enable them for employment opportunities...
Stabbed Afghan woman journalist fears for future
May 28, 2008 |
Reuters
By Jonathon Burch
HERAT, Afghanistan, May 28 (Reuters) - Afghan television journalist Niloufar Habibi never wore the all-enveloping burqa until she was stabbed on her doorstep. Now it is her disguise.
More than six years after the overthrow of the Taliban, Afghanistan remains a deeply conservative country where many still oppose women working in public, visible roles.
"If I go outside people will see where I'm going and see what I'm doing," said Habibi, 20...
Young girl commits suicide
May 27, 2008 |
The Frontier Post
OKARA (APP): A young girl committed suicide over domestic issues here at chak 49/2-L on Monday. According to police, Salma, the daughter of Faqeer Muhammad was upset over domestic issues and Monday she took poisonous pills. She was taken to DHQ hospital but she could not survive. Police are investigating the matter.
AFGHANISTAN: "I sold my daughter to feed the rest of my family"
May 27, 2008 |
IRIN
SHEBERGHAN, 18 May 2008 (IRIN) - Sayed Ali (not his real name) said he sold his 11-year-old daughter, Rabia, for US$2,000 to a man in Sheberghan city, Jawzjan Province in northern Afghanistan to feed his wife and three younger children...
Female soldiers at the forefront when dealing with Afghan women
May 25, 2008 |
CanWest News Service
By Ryan Cormier
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan - Female soldiers are finding an unwritten - but not unwanted - responsibility waiting for them in Afghanistan.
In many rural villages in Kandahar province, the only females who can meet local women wear the Canadian flag on their uniform. Large areas are too dangerous for anyone but a soldier to walk into.
Many Afghan women aren't allowed to speak with, or even see, men they aren't related to. The punishment for bringing such dishonour to their family can be death.
Girls attend school in Zabul after 30 yrs
May 23, 2008 |
Pajhwok Afghan News
KABUL (PAN): One hundred forty girls in the Shajoy district of Zabul province attended school for the first time after 30 years.The girls are currently studying lessons such as religion and math in a small mud house; however they are in need of a suitable location in the district for a school...
Afghan Girl's Death Sparks National Debate
May 22, 2008 |
Spiegel Online
By Barbara Hans
Ahmad O. stabbed his sister more than 20 times because the 16-year-old girl didn't live her life according to his values. Women's rights advocate Seyran Ates is now calling for German society to intensify its efforts to stop honor killings. "A girl isn't a whore if she goes out," she says.
Call to reinstate Afghan woman MP
May 21, 2008 |
BBC
By Martin Patience
The US-based group Human Rights Watch has called for a female Afghan MP to be reinstated a year after she was suspended from the parliament.
Malalai Joya was accused of insulting the house and was suspended until the end of its parliamentary term in 2009.
The MP, who has a reputation for being fiery and outspoken, had compared the parliament to an animal stable.
Afghan Girl Has Surgery for Heart Defect
May 21, 2008 |
National Public Radio (NPR)
By Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson
Adila, a 6-year-old Afghan girl with a congenital heart defect, had life-saving surgery in Karachi, Pakistan, on Friday. She's in the cardiac intensive care unit, but is stable.
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