Women in Afghanistan: What is this film all about?

Mar 1, 2012 by Helen    1 Comment     Posted under: Films, News

This film is part of a series of EQUALS Debate Starters, designed to get people talking about whether men and women are really equals in 2012.

Noorjahan
Noorjahan, 21, is a student and activist who splits her time between her family in Kabul and college in Pennsylvania.

She is co-founder of Young Women for Change, a group of passionate young men and women who fight against the harassment, discrimination and inequality that women in Afghanistan face every day.  Last year they organised the first ever street march against sexual harassment in Afghan history.

“I want and will work for an Afghanistan where every man and woman will have equal opportunities to education and employment in safety. An Afghanistan where sexual assault and rape will be unheard of.

I have strength and perseverance, which I have learned from all the failures and obstacles I have faced as a woman. From TV ads in the West that exploit and objectify women, to child marriage in Afghanistan that also leads to exploitation and objectification of women. There is a problem everywhere and every one of us can be a solution.”

Are men and women really EQUALS?  Join the big inequality debate.
EQUALS is a partnership of over 30 charities and arts organisations, brought together by Annie Lennox to celebrate International Women’s Day and encourage a new generation of women and men to step up the call for a more equal world.  We believe that men and women should have equal rights, opportunities and representation in politics, education, health, employment, family life and media and culture.  Find out more about EQUALS.

What is life like for women and girls in Afghanistan?
When the UK and USA entered Afghanistan in 2001, they promised to improve the lives of Afghan women. In the past ten years some progress has been made, especially in the areas of education, the right to work and increased freedom of movement outside the home.

However, women still continue to suffer discrimination and violence in Afghanistan. This includes child and forced marriage, sexual and domestic violence, and baad, the exchange of women and girls as payment or to settle disputes. Afghanistan is considered one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a woman according to a recent report from Trustlaw.[1]

Womankind Worldwide says that the justice system is inaccessible and women and girls who are raped have very little chance of bringing their case to court. Perpetrators often remain unpunished, but shockingly it’s common for the victim to be harshly prosecuted.

Without being able to take part fully in civil and political life, women are becoming more victimised by the criminal justice system. There is an urgent need for security and peace building that takes women into account, and a change to how the justice system is run in Afghanistan.

What is EQUALS doing to support women in Afghanistan?
Several members of the EQUALS coalition are also part of GAPS (Gender Action for Peace and Security) who are running the No Women, no peace campaign.  They are calling for the UK government to make sure that women’s rights are central to talks about the future, not traded away in search of peace.

By funding Afghan women’s rights organisations, putting pressure on leaders there to make sure women are part of peace building talks, and that all plans take both men’s and women’s needs into account, the UK government can make a real difference to the lives of Afghan women.

Chitra Nagarajan, Director of GAPS says “We worry that women’s rights in Afghanistan are being seen as low on the list of priorities by the UK and other governments, sidelined in favour of ‘more important things,’ but these are not marginal issues. Do join the campaign, find out more about what is happening and take action in solidarity with women’s rights activists in Afghanistan, like Noorjahan.”

Join the big inequality debate.  Watch more EQUALS films.

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[1]http://www.trust.org/trustlaw/news/trustlaw-poll-afghanistan-is-most-dangerous-country-for-women

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