8th March 2018; From Protests to Irrelevant Gifts
the national unity government (NUG) could lobby the parliament and pass a law on the elimination of violence against women.
World women’s solidarity day is widely celebrated every year on 8 March in Kabul and other parts of Afghanistan, but not analyzed.
Governmental officials and well-known women address in the parties. This day is glamorously celebrated and there are mockery behaviors such as granting presents which do not have anything to do with this day. But the main problems of women are less addressed on 8 March that takes victims every day.
The women rights movements in the United States and other countries raised to put an end to violence against women which had social, cultural and ideological background – an effort to eliminate unequal gender pay, an attempt to correct the laws that oppressed women; an effort to count women as citizens like men and have a right to vote and have political participation.
But there are not any measures taken to empower women’s capacity in our territory despite the government chants slogan on 8th March and holds parties to commemorate this day. There is no doubt that women have had educational opportunities and social presence in big cities, but the government failed to devise and implement programs to enable women’s capacities using the same ground and atmosphere. For example, the national unity government (NUG) could lobby the parliament and pass a law on the elimination of violence against women.
When the ARG palace can lobby for a minister at the parliament and get confidence vote, it certainly can attract MPs support to back up the law on banning violence against women. But we have not yet seen any measures taken by ARG in this regard and the parliament also has not done anything to eradicate violence against women despite having significant women representatives.
President Ghani and the chief executive Abdullah Abdullah said during their election campaign that women, youth and poor segment of the society are the silent majority of the nation of Afghanistan, and that have plans to improve their lives, but we have not seen any program so far.
This comes as the law on banning violence against women has not yet been approved, and even women’s representatives in the parliament did not lobby for its approval. The example could be Mrs. Narges Nahan’s nomination for the Minister of Mines and Petroleum that even female representatives had not supported her.
The first lady of the country Rula Ghani has called on the women to be patient and congratulated their achievements in relation to 8 March.
The head of human rights commission Sima Samar also said women should level up their capacities for change.
According to Mrs. Samar, the people of Afghanistan have witnessed various kinds of violence during the four decades war. Although the parties involved in the war has changed, the war has affected the people’s spirits.
The International women’s day is celebrated when President Ashraf Ghani earlier said: “Violence against women is violence against me.” Once the president of the country chants such a slogan, you will find out the status of the women in this territory.
Akhtar Suhail
