Embassy of the United States

Human Rights

Women's Rights Archive

GENDER EQUITY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE FIRST YEAR OF THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION. National Coalition for Women & Girls in Education. December 2008.
Full Text [PDF format, 2 pages]
The National Coalition for Women and Girls in Education (NCWGE), a nonprofit organization of approximately 50 groups dedicated to improving educational opportunities for girls and women, describes its mission to the new administration. The Coalition works to enforce Title IX, the federal law that prohibits sex discrimination in education. Title IX affects all areas of education and promotes equity for both girls and boys.
[Note: contains copyrighted material]

STATE OF WORLD POPULATION 2008: REACHING COMMON GROUND: CULTURE, GENDER AND HUMAN RIGHTS. United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). November 16, 2008.
Full Text [PDF format, 108 pages]
Development strategies that are sensitive to cultural values can reduce harmful practices against women and promote human rights, including gender equality and women’s empowerment, according to the report. Human rights express values common to all cultures and protect groups as well as individuals. The report endorses culturally sensitive approaches to development and to the promotion of human rights, in general, and women’s rights, in particular.
[Note: contains copyrighted material]

AA08095
Munro, Neil DOMESTIC POLITICS (National Journal, vol. 40, no. 14, April 5, 2008)
Full Text available from your nearest American Library

In 1994, Congress passed the Violence Against Women Act, which greatly changed how federal and state authorities handle domestic violence cases. Since then, lawmakers have approved more than $5.5 billion on programs for battered women’s shelters, rape crisis centers, police training and domestic violence research. But now, as new controversial research indicates that as much half of domestic violence incidents involved reciprocal violence, “the question of how to respond to family violence has become controversial, as ideology and research collide.” Munro looks at research that indicates that more cases of domestic violence are initiated by women, and how there is an ongoing debate in the criminal-justice system about the best way to handle these types of domestic violence cases. Munro interviews scholars and practitioners to get a more in-depth understanding of how there is no one-size-fits all way of handling domestic violence cases.

WOMEN'S RIGHTS IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA.
Freedom House. Web posted October 14, 2007.
Full Text [pdf format by sections, various pagings]

[Note: Contains copyrighted material.]

This report consists of reports on 16 countries and one territory. "Each report begins with a section presenting basic political, economic, and social data, as well as key statistics relevant to the status of women." Some of the subjects surveyed are nondiscrimination, access to justice; autonomy, security, freedom of the person; and economic rights and equal opportunity.

INDIGENOUS WOMEN AND THE UNITED NATIONS SYSTEM: GOOD PRACTICES AND LESSONS LEARNED. Department of Economic and Social Affairs, United Nations. Web posted August 27, 2007.
Full Text [Chapters in html format, various pagings]

The third session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues in 2004 was devoted to discrimination of indigenous women. A Task Force was established and a three-year work program was adopted. The Task Force performed case studies in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. The research discovered that indigenous women gained victories from other human rights movements and that programs targeting women improved the livelihoods of the very poor and reduced gender discrimination.

EQUALITY AT WORK: TACKLING THE CHALLENGES: GLOBAL REPORT UNDER THE FOLLOW-UP TO THE ILO DECLARATION ON FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES AND RIGHTS AT WORK. International Labour Office. Web posted May 10, 2007.
Full Text [pdf format, 141 pages]

This is the second Global Report on discrimination under the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work. It examines emerging issues on workplace discrimination and inequalities. The report also describes major advances such as progress in ratification of the ILO Conventions, improvements in national legal and institutional arena, and action plans and programs to combat inequalities. The last section identifies challenges and makes recommendations.

[Note: Contains copyrighted material.]

WOMEN AND LOW-SKILLED WORKERS: OTHER COUNTRIES' POLICIES AND PRACTICES THAT MAY HELP THESE WORKERS ENTER AND REMAIN IN THE LABOR FORCE. U.S. General Accountability Office (GAO). Web posted June 14, 2007.
Full Text [pdf format, 47 pages]

With increasing retirements and declining fertility rates, many developed countries could find it difficult to maintain the size and productivity of its labor force. As a result, many governments and employers have introduced strategies to keep workers, especially women and low-skilled workers, in the workforce. GAO was asked to describe these policies and practices and to identify factors that affect these workers. This GAO report makes no recommendations.

ACCESS TO JUSTICE FOR WOMEN VICTIMS OF VIOLENCE IN THE AMERICAS. Rapporteurship on the Rights of Women of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), Organization of American States. January 20, 2007.
Full Text [pdf format, 146 pages]

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) has repeatedly called for the eradication of violence against women. Women’s Rapporteurship reports that often there is no effective judicial remedy for women. Many of these offenses are never reported and the rights of the women are not protected.

This report examines the major obstacles that women encounter and makes recommendations to States for effective judicial recourse.

[Note: Contains copyrighted material.]

BEHIND THE PAY GAP.
Judy Goldberg Dey and Catherine Hill. American Association of University Women Education Foundation. Web posted April 23, 2007.
Full Text [pdf format, 67 pages]

This study examines the gender pay gap for college graduates. The study found that women one year after college graduation earn only 80 percent as much as men. Ten years after graduation, women fall farther behind. The study took several variables into consideration and found that “despite the progress women have made, gender pay equity in the workplace remains an issue.” The authors suggest that improvements to federal equal pay laws are needed to ensure that women and men are treated fairly when they perform the same or comparable work.

GLOBAL EMPLOYMENT TRENDS FOR WOMEN: BRIEF, MARCH 2007.
International Labour Office. Web posted March 8, 2007.
Full Text [pdf format, 20 pages]

Women’s participation in the labor market increased significantly during the 1980s and 1990s. This report focused on that trend and whether the trend translated into decent and productive jobs for economic independence. The brief looked at labor market indicators such as labor force participation, unemployment, sector and status employment, wages/earnings, and education and skills. Some of the major findings are:More women are in the labor markets;

• The labor force participation rate (the share of working-age women who work or who are seeking work) stopped growing;
• More women are unemployed;
• Women are likely to be in low productivity jobs in agriculture or service;
• In poor regions, women work as unpaid family members; and Wage gaps still persist.

This report indicates that the “policies to enhance women’s chances to participate equally in labour markets are starting to pay off,” but the pace is very slow.

THE CONVENTION ON THE ELIMINATION OF ALL FORMS OF DISCRIMINATION AGAINST WOMEN (CEDAW): CONGRESSIONAL ISSUES.
Luisa Blanchfield. Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress. Updated December 14, 2006.
Full Text [pdf format, 15 pages]

The U.N. Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women has 98 signatures and has been ratified by 184 countries. After 26 years, the Convention has not been ratified by the full Senate. Some U.S. supporters of the Convention contend that it is a valuable mechanism for fighting discrimination against women, but opponents believe that it is not the most efficient way to eliminate this discrimination.

This report provides background information on the Convention and will be updated as necessary.

THE STATE OF THE WORLD’S CHILDREN 2007: WOMEN AND CHILDREN: THE DOUBLE DIVIDEND OF GENDER EQUALITY.
United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). Web posted December 11, 2006.
Full Text [pdf format, 160 pages]

This report covering the lives of women around the world, states that since gender equality and the well-being of children go hand in hand. When women are empowered, children prosper. Similarly, when women are denied equal opportunity, children suffer.

“Gender equality is not only morally right—it is pivotal to human progress and sustainable development.” It provides a positive impact to nutrition, health care, and education of children. Without gender equality, it is impossible to create a world of equity, tolerance and shared responsibility.

Gender discrimination remains pervasive in every region of the world. Cultural traditions perpetuate social exclusion and discrimination. Eliminating gender discrimination will benefit three areas—the household, the workplace and the political sphere.

“This report intends to provide a road map to accelerate progress towards gender equality and empowering women through education, financing, legislation, legislative quotas, engaging men and boys, women empowering women and improved research and data.”

IN-DEPTH STUDY ON ALL FORMS OF VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN: REPORT OF THE SECRETARY-GENERAL.
United Nations General Assembly. July 2006; Web-posted October 10, 2006.
Full report [English-language version, pdf format, 139 pages]

[Note: UN reports are often difficult to access. If you get a "No authorization" message via the links below, go to: http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/vaw/

and select the preferred language version from there.]

The report asserts that women are subjected to violence in a wide range of settings, including the family, the community, state custody, and armed conflict and its aftermath. Violence constitutes a continuum across the lifespan of women, from before birth to old age. Furthermore, it occurs in both public and private spheres.

The study notes that the most common form of violence experienced by women globally is intimate partner violence, sometimes leading to death. Harmful traditional practices, including early and forced marriage and female genital mutilation/cutting, are also widespread. Within the community setting, femicide (gender-based murder of women), sexual violence, sexual harassment and trafficking in women are receiving increasing attention. Violence perpetrated by the State, through its agents, through omission, or through public policy, spans physical, sexual and psychological violence. It can constitute torture. The high incidence of violence against women in armed conflict, particularly sexual violence including rape, has become alarmingly clear.

The report underscores the fact that violence against women has far-reaching consequences for women, their children, and society as a whole. Women who experience violence suffer a range of health problems, and their ability to earn a living and to participate in public life is diminished. Their children are also significantly more at risk of health problems, poor school performance and behavioral disturbances.

STATE OF THE WORLD'S MOTHERS 2006: SAVING THE LIVES OF MOTHERS AND NEWBORNS. Save the Children. May 2006.
Report [pdf format, 58 pages]

This seventh State of the World's Mothers report shows which countries are succeeding - and which are failing - in saving the lives of mothers and their babies. It examines the ways investments in health care, nutrition, education and communication can make a difference for newborns, mothers, communities and society as a whole. It also points to low-cost, low-tech solutions that could save the vast majority of these young lives.

The Mothers' Index, a major section in the report, compares the well-being of mothers and children in 125 countries. The Index uses six indicators measuring the status of women: lifetime risk of maternal mortality, use of modern contraception, births attended by skilled personnel, prevalence of anemia among pregnant women, female literacy, and participation of women in national government; and four indicators covering the well- being of children: infant mortality, nutritional status, primary school enrollment and access to safe water. The Mothers' Index also provides information on an additional 48 countries for which sufficient data existed to present findings on either women's indicators or children's indicators, but not both. Sweden, Denmark and Finland top the rankings this year, as they did last year. The top 10 countries, in general, attain very high scores for mothers' and children's health and educational status. Niger ranked last among the 125 countries surveyed. The 11 bottom-ranked countries - ten from sub-Saharan Africa - are a reverse image of the top 10, performing poorly on all indicators. The United States placed 10th this year, tied with the United Kingdom.

[Note: Contains copyrighted material.]

EDUCATING GIRLS, UNLOCKING DEVELOPMENT.
Ruth Levine. Current History, vol. 105, no. 689, March 2006, pp. 127-132
Full Text available from your nearest American Library

It is estimated that globally 104 million to 121 million children of primary school age are not in school, with Africa suffering the worst shortfalls. In Africa, only 46% of girls complete primary school. The author outlines the benefits for individual girls, communities and economic development of the country that education brings, suggesting that the current focus on primary education be extended to secondary and tertiary education to maximise these benefits.

W.H.O. MULTI-COUNTRY STUDY ON WOMEN'S HEALTH AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN.
Gender, Women and Health Department. World Health Organization. November 2005.
Download the document [pdf format, downloadable in nine sections]

This summary report presents initial results based on interviews with 24,000 women by carefully trained interviewers. The study was implemented by WHO, in collaboration with the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, research institutions and women's organizations in the participating countries. This report covers 15 sites and 10 countries: Bangladesh, Brazil, Ethiopia, Japan, Peru, Namibia, Samoa, Serbia and Montenegro, Thailand and the United Republic of Tanzania.

Report findings document the prevalence of intimate partner violence and its association with women's physical, mental, sexual and reproductive health. Data is included on non-partner violence and sexual abuse during childhood. Information is also provided on women's responses: Whom do women turn to and whom do they tell about the violence in their lives? Do they leave or fight back? Which services do they use and what response do they get?

The report concludes with 15 recommendations to strengthen national commitment and action on violence against women. Data from the report show that violence against women is widespread and demands a public health response.

Note: Contains copyrighted material.

WOMEN'S RIGHTS IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA: CITIZENSHIP AND JUSTICE.
Freedom House. Web-posted May 20, 2005.
Table of Contents page, sections in various formats, various pagings

This report asserts that there is substantial deficit in women's rights in the 16 countries and one territory reviewed. Women are at a profound disadvantage in practically every institution of society: the criminal justice system, the economy, education, health care, and the media.

Using a methodology derived from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the study rates countries on a numerical scale. The survey core is comprised of in-depth narrative reports describing the challenges and progress on women's rights in: Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates, Yemen, and Palestine (Palestinian Authority and Israeli-Occupied Territories). The study covers developments through the end of 2003. Only three countries -- Tunisia, Morocco, and Algeria -- scored above average in some areas of women's rights. Saudi Arabia earned the lowest scores. According to the study, women in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) face a systematic gender gap, aided in large measure by discriminatory laws and by the routine lack of enforcement of existing laws guaranteeing equality and fair treatment. While women in the region have made substantial gains in education, none of the countries evaluated meets internationally recognized standards for women's rights protections.

LIVES BLOWN APART: CRIMES AGAINST WOMEN IN TIMES OF CONFLICT.
Amnesty International (AI). December 8, 2004.
Download the document [pdf format, 64 pages]

Maintaining that women are the major casualties in armed conflicts, this AI report calls for global action to challenge both the violence and the failure of governments to prevent it. The report lays out the global picture revealing a systematic pattern of abuse repeating itself in conflicts all over the world including Colombia, Iraq, Sudan, Chechnya, Nepal and Afghanistan and in 30 other ongoing conflicts. Despite promises, treaties and legal mechanisms, governments have failed to protect women and girls from violence.

Women and girls are killed, raped and mutilated in the course of armed conflicts, as well as physically and mentally attacked by warriors out to terrorize entire communities. On top of this it is women and children who are forced to flee their homes. It is women who care for the sick and injured and it is women who have to collect food and water - tasks and situations that put them at further risk of abuse.

Among the recommendations in the report are the following:

• The International Criminal Court (ICC) should be allowed to act effectively and deliver justice to women and girls, by hearing cases referred by the Security Council when governments fail to prosecute offenders.
• Governments must publicly condemn violence against women and girls in any circumstances, issuing clear warnings or instructions to their forces that violence against women will not be tolerated.
• The international community: all governments, the UN and relevant international bodies must ensure that women play a key role in the design and implementation of all peace-building initiatives.
• All parties and the UN must provide immediate and effective assistance to survivors of violence against women, including emergency health care programs and rehabilitation.

THE STATUS OF WOMEN IN THE STATES - 2004.
Institute for Women's Policy Research (IWPR). November 16, 2004.
Download the document [pdf format, 87 pages]

Note: Contains copyrighted material.

This 2004 report is the fifth edition of the Status of Women in the States biennial series. Since 1996, these reports have served to inform researchers, advocates, and policymakers about advances and gaps in women's economic, social, and political rights. IWPR researchers grades states from A to F in the following categories: Women's Political Participation, Employment and Earnings, Economic Autonomy, Reproductive Rights, and Health. Overall the report rates Vermont, Connecticut, Minnesota and Washington as the "Best States for Women"; Mississippi, South Carolina, Kentucky, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas get the dubious distinction of being the "Worst States for Women".

When all 50 states and the District of Columbia are considered together, U.S. women are paid 76 cents for every dollar men earn, according to the report. The wage gap is even wider in many states. Women in Wyoming, Alabama, and Michigan earn less than 67 cents on the men's dollar, and under 70 cents in New Hampshire and Louisiana as well. When race and ethnic background are factored in, more serious gaps emerge: Compared with white men, women as a whole make less than 68 cents on the dollar. African American women get less than 63 cents, and Hispanic women are paid just slightly more than half of white men's pay. Hispanic women in eight states and the District of Columbia make less than half of what white men earn - 41 cents in the nation's capital and between 43 cents and 49 cents in California, Connecticut, Illinois, New Jersey, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Texas, and Utah.

TRENDS IN EDUCATIONAL EQUITY OF GIRLS & WOMEN: 2004.
United States Department of Education, National Center on Education Statistics (NCES). Web-posted November 19, 2004.
Download the document [pdf format, 116 pages]

This statistical report from the Department of Education assembles a series of indicators that examine the extent to which males and females have access to the same educational opportunities, avail themselves equally of these opportunities, perform at similar levels throughout schooling, succeed at similar rates, and reap the same benefits from their educational experiences. According to the data presented in the report, the large academic achievement gaps that once existed between males and females have been eliminated in most cases and have significantly decreased in others.

Males and females begin school with similar preschool experiences, although females may have an advantage in early literacy participation experiences. Females outperform males on reading and writing assessments at fourth-, eighth-, and twelfth- grades. Throughout their elementary and secondary education, females are less likely than males to repeat grades and seem to have fewer problems that put them at risk. Since the early 1970s, women have made gains in postsecondary education in terms of enrollment and attainment. Female high school seniors tend to have higher educational aspirations than their male peers and are more likely to enroll in college immediately after graduating from high school. Females also account for the majority of undergraduate enrollment and the majority of bachelor's degree recipients.

The data presented in this publication demonstrate that in elementary and secondary school and in college, females are now doing as well as or better than males on many indicators of achievement and educational attainment, and that large gaps that once existed between males and females have been eliminated in most cases and have significantly decreased in other cases. Women are still underrepresented in some fields of study, as well as more generally in doctoral and first-professional degree programs, although they have made substantial gains in the past 30 years. These differences may have labor market consequences.

WOMEN, HIV/AIDS AND HUMAN RIGHTS.
Amnesty International (AI). November 24, 2004.
Download the document [pdf format, 32 pages]

According to this report, one major reason why significantly more young women than men are now being infected by HIV/AIDS is the fact that violence against women and girls fuels the spread of the virus. Violence is a key factor in women's risk of contracting the virus. Studies suggest that the first sexual experience of a girl will often be forced and we know that one in five women will be a victim of rape or attempted rape in her lifetime. Traditional practices such as genital mutilation, early marriage, and the practice of newly bereaved widows being 'inherited' by other male relatives also increases women's exposure to the virus.

Mass rape and sexual violence in conflicts drives the HIV pandemic, in countries as disparate as the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Colombia. In the DRC tens of thousands of women were raped during the conflict and the health system has completely collapsed with only eight percent of donated blood being tested before use in transfusions. The situation in the war-torn region of Darfur in Sudan is likely to go the same way given the similarities of rape and sexual violence again used as a weapon of war. The majority of women in Darfur have also undergone female genital mutilation, a factor increasingly likely to put them at risk of infection.

Stigma is still a serious problem - for both survivors of rape and people living with HIV/AIDS. Women often refrain from seeking medical treatment following rape because of the risk that they will be identified as rape victims within their community and ostracized.

The report's authors urge adoption of the following policies:

• Increase awareness of HIV/AIDS and ensure access to anti-retroviral drugs and appropriate medical care.
• Stop violence against women.
• Ensure education for women and girls, including information about health and sexuality.
• Increase economic empowerment of women.
• Undertake more effective public information campaigns to fight the stigma about HIV/AIDS.

RESERVATIONS TO THE CONVENTION ON THE ELIMINATION OF ALL FORMS OF DISCRIMINATION AGAINST WOMEN: WEAKENING THE PROTECTION OF WOMEN FROM VIOLENCE IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA REGION.
Amnesty International (AI). November 3, 2004.
Download the document [pdf format, 25 pages]

This report from Amnesty International (AI) argues that many governments have not done enough to bring their domestic laws in line with international standards, including the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), the main treaty devoted to the rights of women. The report argues that reservations expressed by most countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region that ratified CEDAW have rendered the convention almost meaningless and ineffective. The authors argue that, although international law permits reservations upon ratification, they should not be contrary to the object and purpose of the treaty. In reality, says AI, most of the reservations entered in the region are inconsistent with what is permissible.

Lifting the reservations now in practice, for instance, would allow a woman subjected to violence by her husband to seek government support. Until now, state officials in many countries refuse to intervene on the grounds that problems between husband and wife are "family affairs" and should thus be resolved at home. CEDAW calls on governments to change any practice, laws or regulations that are discriminatory against women whether committed by officials or private individuals. Any reservation to this provision renders the protection of women completely ineffective. Lifting the reservations would also allow a married woman living in a foreign state to return to her home country if she is subjected to domestic violence by her husband. National laws in many of the countries in the region currently stipulate that a woman can only leave her country of residence with her husband's permission, thus denying her the freedom of movement which ought to be guaranteed by CEDAW.

ADDRESSING GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE IN THE LATIN AMERICAN AND CARIBBEAN REGION: A CRITICAL REVIEW OF INTERVENTIONS.
Sarah Bott, Mary Ellsberg and Andrew Morrison.
World Bank. October 21. 2004.
Download the document [pdf format, 77 pages]

The authors present an overview of gender-based violence (GBV) in Latin America, with special emphasis on good practice interventions to prevent GBV or offer services to its survivors and its perpetrators. Intimate partner violence and sexual coercion are the most common forms of GBV, and these are the types of GBV that they analyze. GBV has serious consequences for women's health and well-being, ranging from fatal outcomes such as homicide, suicide, and AIDS-related deaths, to nonfatal outcomes such as physical injuries, chronic pain syndrome, gastrointestinal disorders, complications during pregnancy, miscarriage, and low birth-weight of children. GBV also poses significant costs for the economies of developing countries, including lower worker productivity and incomes, and lower rates of accumulation of human and social capital. The authors examine good practice approaches in justice, health and education, as well as multi-sectoral approaches. In each sector, they identify good practices for: (1) law and policies; (2) institutional reforms; (3) community-level interventions; and (4) individual behavior change strategies.

Among the findings for future work on gender-based violence in the region are the following:

• It is essential to focus on the prevention of GBV, not just on services for its survivors.
• Prevention is best achieved by empowering women and reducing gender disparities, and by changing norms and attitudes which foster violence.
• Interventions should employ a multi-sectoral approach and work at different levels-individual, community, institutional, and laws and policies.
• GBV may be common in the Latin America and the Caribbean region, but there are promising approaches available to begin working toward its elimination.

COLOMBIA. "SCARRED BODIES, HIDDEN CRIMES": SEXUAL VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN IN THE ARMED CONFLICT.
Amnesty International (AI). October 13, 2004.
Download the document [html format, 36 printed pages]

According to this AI report, Colombian security forces, army-backed paramilitaries and guerrilla groups have turned the bodies of thousands of women and girls into a battleground. Sexual violence against women, including rape, forms an integral part of Colombia's 40-year-old armed conflict and the evidence uncovered in the research for this report that it is widespread. Rape and other sexual crimes, such as genital mutilation, are frequently carried out by the security forces and the paramilitaries as part of their terror tactics against communities they accuse of collaborating with guerrilla groups, says Amnesty. Afro-descendent, indigenous and peasant women, shantytown dwellers, and the internally displaced are at particular risk. Women have been sexually abused after being kidnapped by guerrilla groups and paramilitaries or while being detained by the security forces. Guerrilla groups have also forced their female combatants to have abortions and use contraception.

Because of culturally-entrenched gender stereotyping, guerrilla and paramilitary groups have also violently targeted groups they deem to be socially "undesirable", such as sex workers, lesbians and gay men, and those suspected of carrying HIV/AIDS.

AI asserts that the Colombian government "has a responsibility to prevent and punish violence against women. Despite repeated recommendations by the United Nations and other international bodies, there is little evidence to suggest that the government has taken sufficient measures to end such abuses and bring perpetrators to justice…"

BETWEEN HOPE AND FEAR INTIMIDATION AND ATTACKS AGAINST WOMEN IN PUBLIC LIFE IN AFGHANISTAN.
Human Rights Watch (HRW). October 5, 2004.
Download the document [pdf format, 39 pages]

When a U.S.-led coalition invaded Afghanistan in October 2001, one of the justifications for the war was that it would liberate women from the misogynistic rule of the Taliban. Three years later, on the eve of the country's first-ever national presidential elections on October 9, 2004, there have been notable improvements for women and girls. More than one million girls are enrolled in school, the new Constitution contains guarantees for women's equal rights, and according to official figures, approximately 40 percent of all registered voters are women.

According to this report, these improvements mask a more depressing reality. Continuing religious and cultural conservatism, and a dangerous security environment, mean that women still struggle to participate in the country's evolving political institutions. Regional military factions and religious conservative leaders, as well as the Taliban and other insurgent forces, are limiting Afghan women's participation in society through death threats, harassment, and physical attacks. They threaten women active as government officials, journalists, potential political candidates, and humanitarian aid workers simply because they are women, and because they advocate for women's human rights.