E/CN.6/2006/5
Commission on the Status of Women
Fiftieth session
27 February -10 March 2006 Item 3 of the provisio nal agenda*
Follow-up to the Fourth World Conference
on Women and to the special session of the General Assembly entitled "Women
2000: gender equality, development and peace for the twenty-first century"
The situation of women and girls in Afghanistan**
Summary
The present report provides an update of the situation of women and girls in Afghanistan in 2005, in response to Economic and Social Council resolution 2005/8, with particular focus on the electoral process, efforts to promote and protect the rights of women and girls and social and economic reconstruction and rehabilitation. It includes information on activities undertaken by the United Nations system in support of the work of the Government of Afghanistan for the advancement of women and gender equality. While significant gains have been made by Afghan women and girls, including in the legal, political and educational areas, progress is not felt in all parts of the country and the gender development indicators remain among the worst in the world. Continuous and widespread incidents of human rights violations and violence against women call for prompt and enhanced action by both the Government and the international community.
I. Introduction
1. The present report is submitted in compliance with paragraph 6 of Economic and Social Council resolution 2005/8 on the situation of women and girls in Afghan istan.
2. The report updates information on political, social and economic developments affecting Afghan women since the last report of the Commission dated 22 December 2004 (E/CN.6/2005/5). It draws on information provided, inter alia, by organizations and bodies of the United Nations system1 and concludes with a set of recommendations.
3. Given the oppression from which Afghan women emerged in late 2001, the gains they have made in the past few years, including in the legal, political and educational areas, are significant. Progress made in stabilizing Afghanistan's system of governance contributed to the enhancement of women's participation in the political process. Nevertheless, women and girls in Afghanistan remain beset with formidable security, economic, social and human rights challenges. Afghanistan's first human development report Security with a Human Face, launched by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on 21 February 2005, stresses that generating the means to provide services and job s and protect human rights, especially in rural areas is one of the main security challenges to the reconstruction process. Using the Gender Development Index (GDI), which combines life expectancy, educational achievements and standard of living indicators , the report shows that Afghan women have one of the lowest GDI indicators in the world. Poverty, illiteracy, limited access to health care and continuous violence against women, call for prompt and effective country -wide action by the Afghan Government and the international community.
II. Intergovernmental processes
4. Throughout the reporting period, the situation of women and girls in Afghanistan was examined in various United Nations forums, including the General Assembly, the Security Council, an d two functional commissions of the Economic and Social Council (the Commission on the Status of Women and the Commission on Human Rights).
5. In their discussions of the situation in Afghanistan and its implications for international peace and security, the Security Council and the General Assembly addressed the preparations for the parliamentary and local elections, including the nomination of women candidates, challenges in institution-building, the reform of the justice and security sectors and economic recovery. The related reports of the Secretary -General2 stressed that the security situation continued to be of paramount concern, with violence on the increase and the pervasive drug economy posing a significant threat to the long -term security and development of Afghanistan.
6. On 30 November 2006, the General Assembly adopted resolutions 60/32 A and B, in which it applauded the substantive progress achieved in the empowerment of women in Afghan politics. The Assembly reiterated the continued importance of the full and equal participation of women in all spheres of Afghan life, including in the development, recovery and reconstruction programmes. It called for full respect of the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all, without discrimination of any kind, including on the basis of gender, ethnicity or religion, in accordance with obligations under the Afghan Constitution and international law, including the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. It strongly condemned incidents of discrimination and violence against women and girls.
7. On 27 October 2005, on the occasion of the fifth anniversary of the adoption of Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) on women and peace and security, the Council held an open debat e on the theme "Women's participation in peace processes". Invited to address the Council, the country director of Women for Women International Afghanistan noted3 that significant progress had been made in terms of de jure rights for women and increased p olitical participation. She described the serious challenges, including threats, forced/early marriages and other types of violence facing women in trying to exercise their rights. She emphasized that strengthening of the rule of law and the empowerment of women through capacity -building, education, information sharing and access to resources required the sustained support and attention of the international community.
8. In her report to the General Assembly,4 the High Commissioner for Human Rights noted hat the human rights situation in the country remained of great concern. The report called, inter alia, for concrete measures to address the widespread and persistent human rights violations against women and girl children, including forced/early marriages , crimes against the person and discrimination in the justice system.
9. The independent expert of the Commission on Human Rights on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan reported,5 inter alia, violations of women's rights by the State and discrimination related to an array of social practices. He recommended that the Government continue to create comprehensive and sustainable policies to improve the situation of women and children, with special attention to health, education, economic opportunities and political empowerment, and consider women's rights and children's rights in all aspects of policy planning and implementation.
III. Elections
10. For the first time since 1988, on 18 September 2005, parliamentary elections for the Wolesi Jirga (House of the People), the lower house of the Afghan National Assembly, and provincial council elections were held. The elections had been originally scheduled for June 2004, in tandem with the presidential vote, but had to be postponed twice for logistical and security reasons. In accordance with the Constitution, on 24 January 2005, the President of Afghanistan, Hamid Karzai, established the Independent Electoral Commission, consisting of six men and three women, representing different ethnic groups. The Co mmission was assisted by international electoral experts, who together constituted the Joint Electoral Management Body overseeing the organization of the elections. The Joint Electoral Management Body established a Gender Section, which worked closely with departments of the Managing Body active in areas such as public outreach, training and capacity -building. During the electoral process, the Gender Section was mandated to provide support for women candidates, voters and organizations in preparation for the elections.
11. Despite enhanced security measures, violence was rife during the election campaign. In the south and the east of the country, Taliban forces re -emerged and tried to disrupt the elections for the Wolesi Jirga and the provincial councils, albeit with little success, while in other areas local military commanders attempted to influence election results and intimidated voters and women candidates. Seven parliamentary candidates and six election workers were killed during the two -month campaign prior to election day. Two hundred and eighty -six candidates, including 51 women, voluntarily withdrew their candidacy,6 some citing security concerns.
12. Women made up 41.6 per cent of the total 12.5 million voters who registered in 2004 and 2005. Overa ll, 43 per cent of the women registered to vote actually cast a ballot. An estimated 6 million of some 12.5 million eligible voters cast their ballots, far fewer than the 8 million voters who had participated in the presidential election in October 2004. A total of 2,753 candidates, 12 per cent of whom were women, stood for election to the Wolesi Jirga for a five -year term.
13. As required under the Constitution, women gained 68 (27 per cent) of the 249 seats in the Wolesi Jirga. In Herat, a woman candidat e received the most votes out of 17 candidates. Women also secured 121 (29 per cent) out of the 420 seats in the provincial councils. Five provincial seats reserved for women remain vacant owing to the lack of women candidates in three provinces, while wom en won two provincial council seats in Kabul, in addition to those seats reserved for women.
14. The Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission and the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) produced three joint reports on the verification of political rights for the Wolesi Jirga and provincial council elections during the period from 19 April to 13 September. 7 As far as the types of violations and incidents that constrained the exercise of political rights during the nomination and campa ign periods, the reports noted that women candidates had been the target of a number of acts of discrimination, intimidation and violent attacks in some areas. However, this did not prevent the majority of women candidates from undertaking campaign activit ies nor did it discourage women voters from attending political events and rallies. In many areas, local authorities and police had been particularly responsive to women's security concerns and provided them with guards upon request. A majority of women candidates reported that lack of both financial resources and means of transportation posed serious impediments to their campaigning activities.
15. A Gender Elections Task Force was established in March 2004 as a subgroup of the Advisory Group on Gender.8 The Task Force regrouped in early 2005 to focus on women's participation in the September elections. In March 2005, the Task Force submitted gender-sensitive amendments to the electoral law to the Independent Electoral Commission. In the run -up to elections, the Task Force addressed the obstacles facing women candidates campaigning for office as well as the issue of their personal security.
16. To increase women's participation in the elections and ensure their security, separate polling stations were set up for women. Out of a total 26,243 polling stations throughout Afghanistan, 11,387 were established for women.9 In some parts of the country, the Afghan national police and army received special training for the elections. To alleviate the security concerns of women candidates, voters and civil educators, UNAMA worked with the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Women's
Affairs and chiefs of police in the provinces, alerting them to situations where women have been at risk.
17. The Women's Political Preparatory Committee, established in April 2004, focused on activities promoting women's political participation and women in leadership positions. The Committee was composed of women members of political parties, women members of the Constitutional Loya Jirg a and women from civil society. The Committee provided training workshops, manuals and documentation, logistical support and advice. Support and advice to the Committee was provided by the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs, the Friedrich Ebert Foundation and the German Development Service in Afghanistan as well as through German and international development cooperation.
18. In August 2005, the Women's Political Preparatory Commit tee submitted to the presidential office a list of potential women candidates for the presidential appointees list. Out of a total of 102 seats in the Meshrano Jirga (House of Elders), the upper house of the National Assembly, 34 were appointed by the Pres ident. Half of those seats were reserved for women, as stipulated in article 84 of the Constitution. Of the remaining 68 elected members of the Meshrano Jirga, six are women, two of whom hold permanent seats, while the other four hold temporary ones. The total number of women members of the Meshrano Jirga, including the presidential appointees, is 23, or 22 per cent of the total membership.
IV. Activities of the Ministry of Women's Affairs
19. During the reporting period, further steps were taken to st rengthen the institutional capacity of the Ministry of Women's Affairs and its 34 provincial offices. The Ministry continued to support the Government's policy of advancing the role of women, including by providing assistance and guidance to line ministrie s in efforts to integrate gender perspectives into their work programmes and budgets. The Ministry also oversaw the implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and worked closely with UNAMA and political parties to promote women's political participation and to assist women candidates in the elections.
20. With technical assistance from UNDP and the UNAMA Gender Unit, the Ministry has played a leading role to ensure gender mainstreaming in the follow-up to and implementation of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The Ministry participated actively in consultations with key line ministries on the Afghan MDG targets and indicators to ensure that Afghan women's needs and priorities were taken into consideration. The Ministry also received technical support from UNIFEM in the development of a national action plan for women, framed along the lines of the 12 critical areas of concern of the Beijing Platform for Action. Efforts are under way to ensure that the national action plan for women is endorsed by the Government and integrated into the national development strategy, to be reflected in institutional budgets and implemented by line ministries. The national action plan is currently being finalized.
21. In December 2004, UNAMA and the Ministry signed an implementation agreement for a project entitled "capacity -building of provincial departments of women's affairs". The project covers 15 provinces of Afghanistan. Its aim is to contribute to the improved ca pacity of the Government to respond to the needs of women and girls. Within the framework of the project, one national and three regional workshops on women's political participation were organized prior to the elections and transportation was provided to 10 provincial departments of women's affairs. The project is scheduled for completion in the spring 2006.
22. In April 2005, UNAMA and UNDP assisted the Ministry in drafting recommendations to the Head of the Afghan Civil Service Commission and the Minister of Justice on the proposed civil service law. The recommendations addressed structural disadvantages faced by women in recruitment and hiring processes for senior civil service positions. They also incorporated gender equality provisions in promotions and remuneration policies.
23. With the support of UNDP, the Ministry continued its efforts to institutionalize its gender-training programme by working with the Civil Service Commission to make gender training an integral part of the civil service trainin g. National programmes, such as the national solidarity programme, have also been approached. Throughout the reporting period, a total of 635 staff members from different ministries have been trained through the Ministry's inter-ministerial gender training programme.
24. With the assistance of UNIFEM, the Ministry monitors Government action on the implementation of the gender provisions in "The Way Ahead: The Work Plan of the Afghan Government" presented at the Afghanistan Conference in Berlin on 31 March and 1 April 2005. The workplan explicitly set out the Government's commitment to address the needs of women in the economic, health and education sectors and to promote their participation in the civil service.
25. In response to President Karzai's instruction to the Cabinet for giving immediate attention to the nine poorest provinces, Nooristan, Zabul, Panjsher, Daikundi, Badghis, Uruzgan, Paktia, Samangan and Ghor, the Ministry, with the support of UNDP, prepared and carried out a survey in May 2005, ass essing the needs and priorities of women in those provinces. The report addressed priorities in four areas: legal status, education, health and economy. As a follow -up, on the instruction of the Cabinet, each ministry was tasked to prepare a workplan for responding to the needs and priorities of women in these provinces.
26. The Ministry continued to coordinate and implement advocacy campaigns on women's rights and violence against women in connection with International Women's Day, 8 March 2005, and the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, 25 November 2005, with the support of United Nations entities, including UNDP.
Notes:
* E/CN.6/2006/1.
** The submission of the present report was delayed due to the need for further consultations with relevant United Nations entities.
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