At Kabul airport waiting to board flight

2. Flight and Travel Arrangements
UNAMA offered to be an official supporter of our conference and to assist with air travel arrangements, which were complicated by the paucity of flights between Kabul, Kandahar and other cities. When the UNAMA flight intended to carry our participants from Kabul to Kandahar broke down at the last minute, we had to find lodging and make alternative flight plans for several women suddenly stranded in Kabul. At this juncture, we were under immense pressure from many sources to abandon plans to hold the conference in Kandahar. When participants from outlying areas supported our commitment to proceed to Kandahar as planned, we overcome this pressure and made alternative flight plans. Barnett Rubin of the
Center on International Cooperation stepped in with a commitment to find funds to cover the unexpected cost of this crisis. He later fulfilled this commitment by convincing OSI to increase their original conference grant.

L to R: Volunteers Sonya Stokes, Himali Dixit with Board Member Sunita Mehta in front of ACS compound.

3. Food and Lodgings
In Kabul, WAW members stayed at an inexpensive guesthouse which functioned as the organizing hub for our conference. In Kandahar, the ACS compound served not only as our conference headquarters but also as our living space. Recent violence in the environs of Kandahar, by resurgent Taliban or other religious fundamentalists, required ACS to have armed men at the gates at all times. The presence of these men, a cheerful, friendly lot despite their kalishnakovs and the ominous possibilities they stirred in our minds, never dampened the spirit of the conference. Living for four days with dozens of conference participants (Kandahari women went home each night), sharing meals, spending evenings talking and bonding, and even caring for a few who fell ill, rendered the work done at the conference deep and meaningful.

Meeting with Gul Agha (second from left)

The WAW team met with conference planning committee members, media, constitutional experts, and political leaders to ensure that we were equipped with the most current information. We also met with individuals who had the power and means to ensure our security before, during, and after the conference, including Gul Agha, the hefty former governor of Kandahar province, who had been fired by President Karzai and was living in Kabul surrounded by numerous minions.

footnote•: See list of abbreviations in Addendum 4 of this document.
footnote••: In addition to women from Kandahar, participants came from Mazar, Herat, Bamiyan, Badakhshan, Jalalabad, Khost, Kabul, Helmand, Gardez, Wardak, Jousjan, Badakhshan, Samangan, Farah, Logar, Kapisa, Uruzgan, Paktia, Baghlan, Sar-e-Pul.

E. Women for Afghan Women’s Third Annual Conference (back to top)
1. Overview
WAW’s third annual conference, held in the compound of ACS in Kandahar, began on September 2nd and concluded on September 5th, 2003. Thirty-one participants flew in from Kabul and northern cities, and 14 women joined from Kandahar and the south. All WAW members stayed out of the sessions except as occasional interpreters for journalists. We played a supportive role to the conference, helping journalists access individual women for interviews, organizing food and logistical details, arranging field trips, and copying documents to hand out to participants, for example papers on the compatibility of constitutional and Shari’a law by Mariam Nawabi and a document on the constitutional process produced by the Center on International Cooperation. WAW members also worked hard each evening to ensure that the women bonded, were entertained, and enjoyed their downtime together.

2. Conference Facilitation
The conference was led and facilitated by Afifa Azim, AWN, Soraya Paikan, AWLPA, and Tajwar Kakar, former Deputy Minister of Women’s Affairs. Afifa Azim, the lead facilitator, was responsible for connecting each workshop to the next and for encouraging the women to produce a document by conference end. Soraya was responsible for ensuring that the women understood the constitutional process and the difference between civil law and constitutional law. She also helped women connect the violations of women’s rights they had personally experienced and/or witnessed to their articulation of women’s rights to be guaranteed in the constitution. Tajwar was selected to keep alive a dialogue on women’s rights within Islam.

WAW had originally secured numerous women leaders as workshop facilitators, but the following were unable to attend the conference at the last minute because of illness or because they were engaged in critical work related to the constitutional process and advocacy for women’s rights:
• Rina Amiri, UNAMA
• Helena Malikyar, Center on International Cooperation
• Fatima Gailani, Constitutional Commission
• Orzala Ashraf, HAWCA
• Mahbooba Huquqmal, State Minister for Women’s Affairs
The last minute cancellation by these women, who are experts in the subjects of women’s human rights, constitutional law, and grassroots organizing, made conference planning extremely difficult. Fortunately, the skillful leadership of our three facilitators and the intelligence and commitment of all participants kept the proceedings focused, rigorous, and productive.

L to R: Fahima Vorgetts, Masuda Sultan and Afifa Azim opening the day

DAY 1: September 3, 2003

Morning:  Introductions to the conference by Masuda Sultan and Afifa Azim.

The overall structure, the aims of the conference, and the workshop format were presented.

Workshop:  Women were divided into groups and instructed on procedures for group participation. They were then given two questions to consider. The responses of each group were written on large sheets of paper hung on the walls and recorded.

Expectations from Teachers and Program’s Responsibilities:
• Trainers should speak in a loud voice.
• The agenda should be distributed for participants before training.
• Notes on previous sessions should be distributed daily.
• Trainers should be patient.
• Participants should be granted the right to speak.
• Suggestion and comments of participants must be respected.
• We should not get one-sided decisions.
• We should take ideas and suggestions of participants at the beginning and end of each session.
• Speakers should not be emotional in their presentations.
• Matters should be discussed in Dari and Pashto.
• We should talk simply.
• We must observe time restrictions.

Expectations from Conference: Topics we expect the conference to cover:
• Information about the rights of women, divorce for example.
• The role of women in the constitutional process.
• The role of the constitution in the lives of women.
• Ways to implement constitutionally guaranteed rights.
• Learning techniques for changing men’s ideas about women.
• The rights of women in previous constitutions.
• Ways to take action against those who violate the rights of women.
• Methods of teaching women their rights.

Afternoon: What is a constitution?
The facilitator, Afifa Azim, presented the concept of a national constitution and discussed previous Afghan constitutions and a number of constitutions from other Muslim countries that include articles on women’s rights.

Workshop: This process was handled by Tajwar Kakar, who got the ball rolling by asking each group to answer a series of questions. These questions formed the basis of the next two workshops.
• Who are we?
• Why did we come here?
• What do we expect from the world, from the government, and from the law?
• Why are we unable to act and achieve what Afghans in prior periods of history have achieved?

Who are we? Women answered: human beings, Muslims, Afghan women, the symbol of peace, those who always think of peace, the builders of society, mothers, and “we are those who move the cradle with one hand and the world with the other.”

Why did we come here?
• To know each other.
• To exchange our ideas.
• To learn from other’s experiences.
• To have a united aim among all Afghan women.
• To achieve our united aims.
• To raise our knowledge and understanding of our rights.
• To get our legal rights.
• To share our ideas on the important topic of the constitution.
• To realize our legal rights which Islam has given us.
• To learn more about our life’s situation.

DAY 2: September 4, 2003

Morning: The Constitutional Process

Soraya Paikan continued the discussion on the importance of a national constitution initiated the previous day and summarized the process that has steered the drafting of the new Afghan constitution and the role of women in that process. She also began a conversation on and the compatibility of women’s rights with Islamic law.

Workshop: To begin to articulate the rights they expect to find in the new Afghanistan constitution, Tajwar Kakar asked the women to answer the following questions:

What do we expect from the world, from the Afghan government, and from law?

• The right to knowledge.
• Political and economic health from the international community
   that respects our religion, culture, and traditions.
• Funds for the reconstruction of Afghanistan.
• A strong central government to control the attacks on the
   borders of Afghanistan and to guarantee security.
• To secure women rights.
• A role for women in building our country.
• Compulsory education for women.
• Prevention of forced marriage.
• A decision-making role for women in governmental processes.
• Support for widows, orphans, and the disabled.
• Literacy courses for women throughout Afghanistan.
• Overcoming corruption in all aspects.
• Cultural, social and political rights throughout Afghanistan.
• Freedom from foreign interference in our internal affairs.
• Equality of rights for women and men.
• Equal distribution of benefits.
• Disarmament as soon as possible and security.
• Professionalism among workers in government.
• A voluntary army rather than the draft
• Trials of war criminals.
• The barring of criminals and those who have alienated the Afghan people by their past actions from
   high positions.
• Compulsory primary education for all.
• Minimum marriageable age.
• Afghanistan has people with many skills, but neighboring countries have taken everything and
   destroyed our national unity. If we struggle, we can restore what we have lost.
• We expect the world to focus on peace and security for Afghanistan.
• Defense of the legal rights of women.
• Women’s right of inheritance.
• Freedom for women in marriage and divorce.
• The right of protection and security from violence.
• The right of relaxation and enjoyment.
• The right to learn and grow intellectually.
• Criminalizing the buying and selling of women, using women in gambling, exchanging women, and the
   tradition of blood prize (using women as compensation to one family for the crimes of another family
   against it).
• Maternal custody of children in a divorce.
• Prevention of cruelty against women

What are the factors, which prevent Women’s Rights?
• Unacceptable traditions and customs.
• Discrepancies between traditional customs and actual Islamic values.
• Lack of security.
• Misleading propaganda.
• People’s ignorance of Islamic law.
• Illiteracy.
• Widespread poverty and cultural deprivation.
• Ignorance of men and women about women’s human rights
• Internal divisions among women.

Afternoon: Constitutional Law and Civic Law
The difference between constitutional and civic law was presented by Soraya Paikan.

Workshop: Women were asked to form groups to respond to two issues:

Why are we unable to achieve what Afghans in prior periods of history have achieved?
It is a fact that in the past, women have achieved many proud and important works and services, but today our progress is impeded by several factors:
• Lack of honest and persuasive leadership.
• Lack of security.
• Interference by foreign governments.
• Lack of national unity.

How can the Ways the rights of Women’s be implemented?
• Elimination of prejudice among women.
• Positive propaganda that speaks against unacceptable traditional and customs.
• Conducting seminars in cities and villages.
• Raising awareness of the necessity of education for women.
• Understanding the rights of women according to Islamic rules.
• Raising awareness of women and men about women’s rights.
• Being active in the defense of the right’s of women.
• Establishing literacy courses.
• Raising awareness about Islamic law for people and dissemination information through, television,
   radios, news, schools, and mosques.
• Improving of the status of women politically, economically, socially and culturally.
• Teaching children about the rights of women.
• Creating unity among women
• Creating peace and security throughout Afghanistan.
• Strong defenses against inappropriate and destructive traditions.
• Raising the awareness of people about the rights of women in the Qur’an.
• Raising the awareness of men.
• Education.
• Empowerment of women economically.
• Banning unacceptable propaganda.
• Creating peaceful conditions for raising the capacity of women and the society.

DAY 3: September 5, 2003
Morning and Afternoon: Writing the Women’s Bill of Rights
The participants began to transform their long lists of expectations into the Women’s Bill of Rights.

Workshop: Roles of women in changing society
• Wives and mothers can train peaceful and responsible children
   for society
• Women and mothers-in-law must unite. Mothers-in-law were
   once daughters-in-law.
• At last we can say that the woman is an important person
   because of her kindness and her friendly habits, Women can
   create peace.
• Women can demand that the religious leaders protect their
   rights.
• Women can publish books that teach women’s human rights to
   all levels of society.
• Training children in the ways of developing the society
   productively.
• Changing ideas of men regarding family matters.
• Taking part in country's politics, economics and cultural
   matters.
• Conducting seminars, groups, and conferences to raise
   awareness of women.

Graduation Ceremony:
The grand finale of the conference was the special graduation ceremony where every participant was awarded a certificate, contact information for all participants, $150 in cash and a beautiful gift bag containing Peacekeeper Cosmetics items.

4. Field Trips and Entertainment
• Two meals at the home of ex-police chief, Commander Akram.
   A close friend of ACS, he welcomed us to his home twice:
   once for a fruit feast and once for dinner.
• Visit to Mir Wais Mausoleum and ice cream in the women’s
   garden.
• Visit to Kharqa Mubarak.

F. Post-Conference Activities and Impact of Afghan Women’s Bill of Rights (back to top)

Fatima Gailani opening the press conference

1. Kabul Press Conference
On September 10, 2003, WAW held a press conference at Anaar restaurant in Kabul. Members of the local press and stringers for international media attended the packed event. Speakers included Fatima Gailani, Rina Amiri, Mahbooba Hoquqmal, and conference participants from Kabul, Mazar, and Kandahar. Speaking first, Fatima Gailani emphasized WAW’s courage in holding the conference in Kandahar and the fact that the conference participants were not the educated elite but rather the "real women" of Afghanistan. She updated us on the constitutional process and assured the audience that every item in the Afghan Women’s Bill of Rights (except one, which belonged in civil law) would be included in the Constitutional Commission’s draft constitution.•

footnote•: Having heard Gailani make this point twice, WAW feels justified in repeating that we are baffled by the fact that the draft constitution contains virtually no specific guarantees of women’s rights. Our efforts to understand how the discrepancy between Gailani’s remarks and the actual situation came about have failed to provide an answer. We do not know whether the treatment of women’s rights in the draft changed after she spoke or whether she believes that the general statement in the constitution regarding equal rights for Afghan citizens provides women with the protection they seek in the Women’s Bill of Rights. If the latter is true, WAW and others strongly disagree.

Rina Amiri of UNAMA spoke of the conference as an event that gave voice to the average Afghan women,? the women who have wanted to be engaged in identifying the opportunities they want available to them. She added, I’m very proud that they took this work and brought it to Afghanistan. I’m happy that they engaged in a very important process the constitutional reform process. In order to improve the lives and conditions of women, we need a legal framework, something that supports and defends women’s rights on paper. For the future of Afghanistan, for the future of Afghan women, the constitutional process is probably the most important thing we are undertaking right now. I’m even happier that they took this process to the south [Kandahar].

Women’s Minister Habiba Sorabi reading Afghan Women’s Bill of Rights

Meeting with the Constitutional Commission.

2. High-level meetings in Kabul
In Kabul, WAW took advantage of the access enjoyed by foreigners and arranged meetings with President Karzai, the Constitutional Commission, and the Minister of Women’s Affairs. On September 11, when Kabul was under high security alert and all foreigners were advised to stay indoors, members of WAW along with Afifa Azim, Soraya Paikan, and an ACS delegation that had flown in from Kandahar met with President Karzai on the presidential palace grounds. When we presented him with a framed copy of the Afghan Women’s Bill of Rights, Karzai told us he had already read a copy given to him by a security guard at our press conference. He indicated his support for Afghan women; assured us that half of his constitutional Loya Jirga appointees would be women (he appoints 50 members out of 500) and encouraged us to continue our work. When we brought up the subject of women in prison, he agreed to meet with Afifa Azim and Soraya Paikan for a further discussion of this problem (see Addendum 3i).

The next day, the Constitutional Commission warmly received WAW members, Afifa Azim, and Soraya Paikan. They commended us for our pioneering work and again assured us that all but one item in the Afghan Women’s Bill of Rights would be included in their draft of the constitution of Afghanistan. Our document would serve as a further demand from the women of Afghanistan. They said that because the constitution may be eroded through the Loya Jirga process, we must continue to promote the voices and wishes of the women at our conferences. We were encouraged to provide names and bios of participants in our conference for nomination to the Constitutional Loya Jirga and to organize future conferences in the provinces.

On September 12, WAW members along with Orzala Ashraf of HAWCA, met with Minister Habiba Sarabi, Minister of Women’s Affairs to thank her for the Ministry’s support of the conference and to present a copy of the Afghan Women’s Bill of Rights. She expressed her support for the document and promised to distribute it throughout the Women’s Ministry.

3. New York City Press Conference
On September 22, WAW held a press conference at OSI in New York. Mariam Nawabi, an expert in constitutional and Islamic law, was a guest speaker. This press conference led to the September 24, 2003 New York Times editorial featuring our work (click here to see article)

4. Follow Up Activities
Over 6,000 copies of the Afghan Women’s Bill of Rights have been distributed to women and women’s NGOs all over Afghanistan with the help of AOHREP and the Women’s Ministry. Each conference participant committed herself to using the document as an organizing tool in her own community organizing. We have submitted information about several of our participants and facilitators to UNAMA for nomination to the Constitutional Loya Jirga.

G. Parallel Press Outreach (back to top)
1. Training in Media Outreach and Media Messaging
Jennifer Pozner, Executive Director of Women in Media and News, NY, trained the WAW delegation in media messaging. Topics included in this training were:
• How to answer a question succinctly;
• How to “spin” your message;
• In the eventuality of the conference being forced to take place in
   Kabul due to security reasons, how to turn this into a media
   opportunity for world attention to the security crisis in
   Afghanistan;
• The importance of holding a press conference.

2. Press Updates
Through press releases and regular updates, WAW was in constant touch with international and Afghan press before arriving in Afghanistan and throughout our trip. Visits to the Internet café to send out press updates were considered an important daily activity.

3. Bringing Press to Afghanistan
WAW succeeded in bringing to the conference women journalists from the Nation, Women’s Enews, Time Magazine, Business Week Magazine, the Globe and the Mail, The Daily Guardian, the US State Department Arm, and the New York Times. Most of these journalists stayed with us in the ACS compound and were witness to our work both in and out of conference workshops. (The press generated by our conference and parallel media outreach is presented in Addendum 5.)

H. Conference: 2004 (back to top)
The participants from Mazar-E-Sharif announced their willing to organize and host WAW’s fourth annual conference. WAW is currently in dialogue with our advisors to determine when our next conference might be held and what the theme might be. Our close associate Orzala Ashraf, director of HAWCA, recently led a women’s rally in Mazar-E-Sharif calling for disarmament throughout the country. She is also a member of the Gender and Law Working Group, a committee of prestigious Afghans who have recently submitted suggestions for additions to the draft constitution that strengthen women’s constitutional rights. Her connections with women activists are a valuable entry point for us.

The elections in Afghanistan are scheduled to take place in June 2004. If they are on schedule, we are considering a conference in Fall 2004 addressing the theme of women’s rights in the judicial system, and/or the implementation of women’s rights secured in the constitution. If the elections have not taken place by then, we might consider organizing our conference around the theme of women’s participation in the elections.

I. Conclusion: (back to top)
WAW's conference was a great success, for it awoke a representative group of Afghan women to their potential power as a united body and allowed them to articulate their demands in the public arena. Through our partner organizations, we distributed 6,000 copies of the Afghan Women's Bill of Rights throughout all provinces of Afghanistan. We appeared on Afghan television, shown presenting the document to President Karzai. We also used our resources and contacts to promote the selection of our conference participants as Loya Jirga delegates.

Yet, we knew the struggle for inclusion of women's rights in the constitution was not over. The first draft of the constitution, released weeks after the conference, was a bitter disappointment. Despite the success of the conference and assurances from the Constitutional Commission that the items in the Afghan Women's Bill of Rights would be included, the draft was notable for its near silence on the subject of women’s rights. The Constitutional Loya Jirga began on a disturbing note, as the Chair proclaimed to women, "Even God has not given you equal rights because under his decision two women are counted as equal to one man." Malalai Joya, a female delegate who denounced the attendance of "those criminals who have brought these disasters for the Afghan people," noting they should be tried for their crimes against the Afghan people, was ordered to be thrown out of the event and received threats to her life.

The finalized Constitution of Afghanistan declares: "The citizens of Afghanistan - whether man or woman - have equal rights and duties before the law". Despite this success, there is also an article that "No law can be contrary to the beliefs and provisions of the sacred religion of Islam." This statement creates an opening—a bottomless pit—for laws that discriminate against women. The constitution will ultimately be interpreted and enforced by the judicial system, which is currently being reformed. That is where the battle to secure women's rights will ultimately be waged. Implementation of women's equality in a country that has suffered 23 years of war and that is marked by systematic violation of women is perhaps the severest challenge in the country. WAW remains hopeful in this new day for Afghanistan, and we will continue to support our sisters' struggle.


ADDENDA
Addendum 1: WAW’S Staff, Board and Advisory Committee (click here to see full list)

Addendum 2: Conference Planning Committee (back to top)
Rina Amiri has been a senior research associate for the Women and Public Policy Program at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government and a central participant in the Women Waging Peace program's annual colloquium. A delegate to the Bonn Conference, she now lives in Afghanistan, where she is an advisor to UNESCO and the Ministry of Women's Affairs in Kabul.

Sara Amiryar is associate director of Affirmative Action Programs, Georgetown University, and head of the BluePack Project in Afghanistan.

Hangama Anwari was a former professor of law at Kabul University and vice-chair of the AWLPA in Kabul; She is a community mobilization trainer with the United Nations Human Settlement Program in Kabul.

Orzala Ashraf is founder and director of HAWCA, which currently runs over 200 vocational training and literacy classes in Afghanistan. Since 1994, she has been delivering training programs to women and children in Afghan refugee camps. Ms. Ashraf, who is self-taught, was honored with the Isabel Ferror Award for women’s education and the Amnesty International award for humanitarian aid to children and women.

Sarah Chayes, an award-winning journalist (Overseas Press Club Lowell Thomas Award and the Society of Professional Journalists' Sigma Delta Chi Award), covered conflicts in Kosovo and Algeria and the fall of the Taliban for NPR. She is now the Kandahar director of ACS.

Fatima Gailani holds master's degrees in Persian Literature and Sufism from the National University of Iran and from the Muslim College in London. A political activist for years, with the increasing deterioration of the situation of Afghan women in the 1990s, Ms Gailani became more active on behalf of women's rights. Ms. Gailani is a member of the Constitutional Commission.

Rangina Hamidi is Women’s Issues program officer in charge of Women’s Income Generation Program for ACS, Kandahar.

Abdul Hotaki is founder and director of AOHREP.

Moneesa Jamal is director of HOOWA.

Helena Malikyar is a Ph.D candidate in the Department of Middle East Studies at New York University with a specialty in Afghan administrative history and modernization and reform processes. She has published on the issue of women's status in Afghanistan and worked with several Afghan political organizations, including the former King of Afghanistan's group in Rome. Currently based in Afghanistan, she is working on the Afghanistan Reconstruction Project.

Mariam A. Nawabi, J.D, a litigation associate, was recently selected by the UN to serve on the Legal Affairs Working Group of the Afghanistan Reconstruction Project. The LAWG will draft proposals for various laws and regulations and a number of constitutional issues to present to the Interim Administration of Afghanistan.

Hibaaq Osman, a 15-year activist for women’s rights in Africa, is now V-Day special representative to Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. She is responsible for building broad political and social movements for women's rights at national, regional, and international levels in those regions.

Soraya Paikan is chair of the AWLPA, a member of the Loya Jirga, & an international lawyer. She was professor of International Law at Balkh University in Mazar-e-Sharif until the Taliban took power.

Cheryl Rae is assistant to the Minister of Women’s Affairs, Kabul.

Addendum 3: WAW’s Activities in Kandahar Outside the Conference (back to top)

L to R: Lena and Rozia, prisoners in Kandahar

Soraya Paikan at the gate of Kabul women’s prison

Lena (far right) in Kabul one week after her release from prison-at meeting with Women’s Minister

i. Women in Prison and Release of Lena
While in Kandahar WAW also visited the headquarters of the chief of police to meet with three female prisoners. We were stunned to see them wearing tattered burqas and in tears when they told us their horrible stories. One had been sold to an abusive man, another, Rozia, chained up, beaten, and repeatedly raped by a father-in-law. The youngest prisoner, a sixteen-year old named Lena, was being held for traveling without a male relative after running away from an abusive uncle. WAW negotiated the release of the three women for a few hours and took them to our conference compound, where they shared our dinner and spoke about their lives. The only policewoman in Kandahar, who was also a conference attendee, escorted the women and provided reassurance to the chief that the prisoners would be returned that evening. At the compound, conference participants exchanged ideas about how we could help. Carlotta Gall, a reporter for the NY Times, interviewed them. We also bought them new clothes and burqas and watched them smile for the first time. One of the conference facilitators, Afifa Azim, offered to help the youngest prisoner, Lena, if we could get her to Kabul because she expressed a great interest in attending school.

A few days later, WAW visited the thirteen women at the prison and provided them with some financial aid. We also scheduled a meeting with the Attorney General for the next day, the day we were leaving Kandahar. We hoped to take Lena with us because she was technically released but had nowhere to go. The Attorney General resisted, claiming he needed final approval from Kabul, but after much pleading, he released her. We raced to the plane, barely making our flight. In Kabul, first with us and then with Afifa Azim, Lena became a new person. She was cheerful, talkative, and eager to learn English. Afifa Azim eventually found a good home for her, and she is now attending school. We are still working to clear Lena officially. Meanwhile, Sunita Mehta visited the women’s prison in Kabul and found that the women’s stories were similar to what we heard in Kandahar. WAW provided them with financial assistance as well.

We discussed the issue of women in prison with the Women’s Ministry, and President Karzai, who agreed that there is a need for government shelters for women who are held in prison because they have no family to return to. WAW is also in touch with Soraya Paikan, from AWLPA about working with female prisoners to resolve their cases and speed up release. It saddens us and our colleagues that women who are the victims of crimes are being kept in prison because they have nowhere to go. We hope to be more involved in this issue in the future.

ii. At the Refugee Camp
While the conference was in session, Fahima Vorgetts, a WAW board member and director of WAW’s Afghan Women’s Fund, was busy checking out conditions in the sixteen refugee camps for internally displaced persons. These are Pashtuns who had lived as minorities throughout northern Afghanistan until the Taliban were overthrown. Then Afghans of other ethnicities turned on Pashtuns in revenge, driving them from their towns and villages. The camps are located about one hour out of Kandahar in Zari Dasht, a sweltering grey desert punished by dust clouds that whip mercilessly down from surrounding mountains. Their schools are a series of tents, airless defenses against the sun and dust, lined up in walled rectangular areas set aside for the purpose of education.

On her first visit, Fahima discovered two schools with no supplies and teachers on the verge of quitting because no one was paying their salaries. That night Fahima and Abdul Hotaki of AOHREP bargained with Kandahar merchants for 2000 notebooks, pencils, erasers, and several blackboards--$1500 worth of basic supplies. These were stuffed into burlap bags and loaded into the pickup truck (which was guarded by three young men armed with Kalashnikovs) and delivered to the refugee camps the next day. On that second visit, Fahima learned that another camp, one managed by a British NGO, had no school at all—although tents had been on site for 8 months and camp elders had been pleading with officials to put them up. She also learned that the well outside the women’s center, where women were supposed to be able to wash themselves and their children, did not function because no one had bothered to supply a generator to run the pump. Her formidable outrage unleashed, Fahima threatened the NGO with public exposure—thereby accomplishing in a half hour what the elders had failed to do for 8 months. The small WAW team, by now encrusted with dust and on the verge of heat stroke, waited with camp elders and dozens of barefoot, filthy children (for who in the camps has water to waste on clothes) while 10 tents were hurriedly dragged in from some mysterious place and dropped onto the hardpan. Still rolled up in bright blue plastic wrappers, they lay on the dusty ground like alien invaders in a science fiction film. That night we took another trip to the bazaar for supplies and delivered them to the school the next day. By then the tents were up and each broiling interior was packed with children, boys and girls, already reciting their lessons. Meanwhile, thanks to Fahima and WAW’s Afghan Women’s Fund, a generator had been delivered to the women’s center and was awaiting installation.

All in all, through the Afghan Women’s Fund, Fahima paid teachers’ salaries and provided over 5000 students with school supplies. The new school will accommodate about 1500 children while combined enrollment in two other schools will expand by over 700 students. “She has done a great thing,” said Afifa Azim of Fahima.

In Annapolis where she lives, Fahima is fighting to keep this school and others running by raising money for teachers’ salaries—$1500/month is needed.


Addendum 4. Abbreviations: (back to top)

AOHREP: Afghanistan Organization of Human Rights and Environmental Protection
AWLPA: Afghan Women Lawyers and Professionals Association
AWN: Afghan Women’s Network
HAWCA: Humanitarian Association for Women and Children of Afghanistan
HOOWA: Humanitarian Organization for Orphans and Widows of Afghaninstan
OSI: Open Society Institute
PARSA: Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Support for Afghanistan
UNAMA: United Nations Assistance Mission to Afghanistan

Addendum 5. Press Clippings (click here to see press, click here to see press releases)