EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 84/26

(2004/C 84 E/0028)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2477/03

by Miet Smet (PPE-DE) to the Council

(24 July 2003)

Subject: Women's rights in Afghanistan

The Taliban's seizure of power in 1996 went hand in hand with a spectacular decline in the situation of Afghan women. Women were subjected to extreme psychological and physical repression in the form of a partial or total withdrawal of medical care, education, opportunities to earn a living and freedom of movement.

Many had hoped that the end of the Taliban regime would usher in a new era for Afghan women. In the European Parliament resolution of 5 September 2002 (1) it was stressed that absolute priority must be given to the situation of women in Afghanistan. Members of the European Parliament also asked for a new Afghan government to adopt and implement effective measures to improve the situation of women. The European Union also wishes to contribute to this process, and has provided for part of Europe's support for Afghanistan to be targeted directly at specific women's projects.

But a year and a half after the Bonn conference the situation of women is anything but favourable. In the country, where three-quarters of Afghans live, nothing has changed for women. This has been confirmed by Members of the European Parliament who participated in the EP delegation to Afghanistan: since the fall of the Taliban women's rights have improved only in Kabul, and over the whole country only 30 % of girls go to school.

How does the EU react to this continuing violation of women's rights? Which specific women's projects in Afghanistan are being funded by the EU? As well as supporting specific women's projects, is the EU taking other steps to improve the situation of women? What proportion of the European budget for Afghanistan is used entirely for the benefit of women?

Reply

(8 March 2004)

1. The EU pays close attention to the observance of women's human rights in Afghanistan. In its contacts with the Afghan Transitional Authority (ATA), the EU constantly stresses at all levels that the rights of Afghan women and the promotion of their full and equal participation in all aspects of public life constitute an important benchmark in assessing the performance of the ATA and in determining further EU policy towards Afghanistan.

2. The EU has also urged the members of the Afghan Constitutional Commission to respect gender equality, in line with international norms, in the future Constitution which will be adopted by the Constitutional Loya Jirga in a few months' time. The EU will do its utmost to ensure also that the new Constitution contains a clause establishing the primacy of international law, especially UN conventions on human rights, over domestic law, including the Sharia.

3. On 14 April 2003, the Council adopted conclusions stressing, ‘inter alia’, the importance of mainstreaming gender-awareness in ATA policy and urging the establishment of a constitutional framework for the promotion and the protection of human rights, especially with regard to women and girls. The Council also underscored gender-sensitivity as one of the qualities of a government to be established through free and fair elections by June 2004. These conclusions were shared with the Afghan Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr. Abdullah, who met with the EU Ministers that very day. Gender issues are high on the agenda of the EU Troika Mission at State Secretary level to Afghanistan, planned in October.

4. Since the fall of the Taliban, there are a few signs of improvement: girls go to school in increasing numbers and, in the larger urban centres, also attend higher education, ministries are hiring women and as a whole many women have gone back to work outside their homes. A very positive step was the ratification of the UN Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women on 5 March 2003. However, the Council agrees with the Honourable MEP that the situation of women remains unacceptable regarding education and work possibilities, legal protection and their full and equal participation in public life. In addition, women are the primary victims of insecurity, which threatens their lives and their dignity. A lot of work remains to be done, subject to the allocation of sufficient resources.

5. For details on specific gender-oriented programmes, the Honourable MEP might wish to apply to the Commission and the relevant ministries of the Member States.

(1) P5-TA(2002)0407.