The Women of Afghanistan Speak Out

Dear Orikinla,

THE WOMEN OF AFGHANISTAN SPEAK OUT

"Afghan women and girls want education. Many risk their lives to go to school... Human rights are not a western concept, but universal and necessary for all human beings "

Dr Sima Samar, chairperson of the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission and Special Human Rights Rapportuer for Sudan.

Kabul, Afghanistan, April 15, 2009: Hundreds of Afghan women stood up to an angry crowd and marched to the Parliament, calling for repeal of a new law restricting women's lives.

For the women of Afghanistan and neighboring areas of Pakistan dominated by the Taliban, recent news has been dire: The new law passed by Parliament and signed by President Karzai, forbidding women to leave the house without their husbands' permission and legalizing marital rape; a 17 year-old woman in the Swat region of Pakistan, flogged for what the local Taliban commander described as a "transgression"; continuing attacks on girls' schools. According to the Feminist Majority Foundation, hundreds of girls' schools have been destroyed and teachers murdered; young girls on their way to school had acid thrown at them.

Reaction to the new law -- and to the attacks on women which preceded it -- has been strong: President Obama said "I think this law is abhorrent. Certainly the views of this administration have been, and will be communicated to the Karzai government... The first reason we are there is to root out al Qaeda...those two things aren't contradictory, I think they're complementary..."

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton: "My message is very clear: Women's rights are a central part of American foreign policy in the Obama administration; they are not marginal; they re not an add-on or afterthought...So we will continue to work very hard on behalf of women and girls in Afghanistan and around the world."
Women Senators have spoken up: a bipartisan group, led by U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and including Olympia Snowe (R-ME), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Claire McCaskill (D-MO), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) sent a letter to President Karzai.

"This law should be reversed immediately," Boxer said. "Not only is this law an attack on individual freedom, but it condones despicable acts against women in their homes. By approving this law, Afghan leaders are holding back the entire country's progress and turning the nation back toward some of the most oppressive practices of the Taliban."

Responding to the public outcry, President Karzai has now promised to review the law. According to his aide, the legislation is not yet law, and will be reviewed so that it will be "consistent with the rights provided in the Constitution -- equality and the protection of women"

The State Departments is monitoring what happens next: "We're glad that President Karzai has agreed to review this law critics say permits spousal rape and severely limits women's rights," said State Department spokesman Robert Wood. "And we'll be watching this closely to see how the process develops."


Watch the video.
Video courtesy of the Associated Press.

The women of Afghanistan are risking their lives to speak up for their rights; we must continue to speak up for them.

SCIENCE COMES (BACK) TO WASHINGTON

An important policy announcement this week, and a demonstration that respect for scientific evidence and evidence-based decision making has come back to Washington:
The Environmental Protection Agency said formally that carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gases "endanger public health and welfare within the meaning of the Clean Air Act." Among the problems they cause: increased drought, flooding, more frequent heat waves and wildfires, and harm to water resources, agriculture and eco-systems.
The proposed finding is open for comment review for 60 days, but I think I have my favorite already:
"'Duh' may not be a scientific term, but it applies here" said Emily Figdor, federal global warming director of Environment America. " EPA has embraced the basic facts on global warming that scientists around the world have acknowledged for years."
A very happy Earth Day to all of us concerned about the health of our families -- and our planet.

EQUAL RIGHTS AT HOME

Next Tuesday, April 28th is Equal Pay Day -- and if you wonder why that day was chosen, April 28 marks how long into the current year American women have to work to catch up with what was earned by men just in the previous year. Think what a difference that equal paycheck would make to your family!

This year, we can celebrate passage of the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, the first legislation signed into law by President Obama, which ensures that women have a reasonable chance to sue for pay discrimination. But we could do so much more by acting, to prevent discrimination the first place. The Paycheck Fairness Act, originally sponsored by then-Senator Hillary Clinton, and now led by Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) and Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) would strengthen the Equal Pay laws, and help take equal pay from the law books to our checkbooks.

We have a lot more information coming about and actions you can take on Equal Pay and the Paycheck Fairness Act -- stay tuned.

NO LIMITS IS GROWING

We're so proud to announce the next steps for No Limits: our new website will be ready soon, with resources and information about the issues you care about, and a special social networking feature that will make it easier for us all to stay connected.

You can help us grow! When you get the announcement of our new website, will you forward it to your friends?

Sincerely,

Ann Lewis