As the Obama Administration talks tough about Afghanistan, missing from the rhetoric is the impact that additional military action will have on the lives of women and children in Afghanistan. As the following news from the Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan RAWA makes all too clear, the violation of human rights in Afghanistan continues without pause.
Children in Afghanistan brave sexual harassment as they walk to school:
SOS Children’s Villages: Every day, as they go to school, girls in Afghanistan run a gauntlet of intimidation and harassment by youths carrying knives. From acid attacks, murder, torching of schools and sexual assault, violence against girl students is crushing the dreams of thousands of Afghan girls and women hungry to learn. In spite of the police presence near every school boys manage to tease girls and even kidnap them and sexually abuse them. In the past eight months, 138 students and teachers have died and 172 have been wounded in criminal and terror attacks, according to the Ministry of Education. About 651 schools have closed and another 122 school buildings have been blown up or burned down.
Afghanistan needs to double midwives:
AFP: The United Nations said Monday that Afghanistan needs to more than double its midwife numbers to curb one of the world’s highest maternal mortality rates despite a huge increase in practitioners. “In 2002 there were only 467 trained midwives in the entire country,” World Health Organisation country representative Peter Graaff told a news conference. That number had increased to more than 2,100 by 2008, he said. But in a stark assessment of Afghanistan’s needs, he said: “The total estimated requirement for midwives in the country is not 2,100 but 4,500… in order to cover the needs of 90 percent of the population.”
Paktika lacks female health care services:
PAN: Public health officials of southeastern Paktika province informed there was no female doctor in provincial capital and in over 14 districts of the province while all residents of the province were suffering difficulties due to lack of staffs in health section. Dr. Toryali deputy health director of the lawless province addressing a bimonthly meeting of government departments said inhabitants of his province were suffering difficulties due to the lack professional doctors despite improvements in the province.
Two Afghan women are murdered by their husbands in Takhar and Zabul:
PAN: Takhar police have arrested the husband of a young lady, along with three others, for murdering her in northern Takhar province. Brigadier general Ziauddin Mahmoodi Takhar police chief told pajhwok Afghan News that 18 years old victim was killed three days back by her husband with the help of three other people in Post Khor area of Taloqan city. Sufi Mohammad a neighbor of the victim said the couple used to quarrel, Anwar often used to beat her and we could hear her crying and shouting. He said that the very next morning of the night she died; he got information of her homicide but didnt know who exactly committed the crime.
13-Year Old Gang-Rape Victim Demands Severe Punishment for the Rapists:
Wakht News Agency (Translated by RAWA): Authorities of the Human Rights Organization and Gul Afroz’s family, a girl who was raped, demanded severe punishment for the people accused of being involved in the crime; saying the order of the preliminary court of the Sar-e-Pul province is not enough. 13-year old Gul Afroz was gang-raped by two armed men three months back in the Kohistanat District of Sar-e-Pul Province. The accusers are not contented with the sentence of the court.
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