Afghans Face Multiple Obstacles in Going to the Polls

August 21st, 2009

QALA CHA, Afghanistan — Shershad Muhammad almost didn’t get to vote.
As the 60-year-old baker pedaled his bike toward a polling station in this village on Kabul’s outskirts early Thursday, a group of police officers forced him to dismount, tackled him and nearly arrested him. His offense: carrying a large black bag. It was full of [...]

Afghanistan’s Controversial Law Emboldens Women’s Rights Activists

April 16th, 2009

Hundreds in Kabul staged a rare rally Wednesday, defying counterprotesters’ stones and insults.
Kabul, Afghanistan - As Fatima Fedayee clutched a banner that read “Equality Is Our Right,” an angry man charged toward her and knocked her to the ground. As soon as she picked herself up, another man hurled stones at her. Then a group [...]

What You Should Know About Women’s Rights In Afghanistan

April 13th, 2009

Just as the world’s eyes are turning towards Afghanistan once again, a few conservative Afghan lawmakers are trying to pass a law that would, amongst other things, legalize marital rape, prohibit women from leaving the home without permission, deny them the right of inheritance, force a woman to “preen for her husband as and when [...]

Women Lawmakers Battle Warlords

March 8th, 2009

KABUL, Mar 9 (IPS) - Whenever lawmaker Fatima Nazari rose to speak, she says the parliament’s chair snubbed her. Whenever one of her female colleagues made a suggestion, it was brushed aside. Sometimes certain notorious warlords would speak multiple times before a female member of parliament (MP) could speak once.
So Nazari, who represents Kabul province, [...]