Sovereignty after Taliban was a new page for Afghanistan, although Afghanistan is a former traditions believing country but the way to democracy and development is open, among these traditional trust which are based on incorrect believes points that women didn’t develop but beside presence of recent challenges women are facilitated to develop in fields of cultural, political, economics and ….
As women are faced many problems nowadays but some of them with much more tireless struggles in different fields especially in field of decreasing problems with their homogeneous had good achievements which one them is parliament that women have membership of this organ as representative of people, parliament is named as a very important legislative reference and embodies the will of the people in article 81 of Afghanistan constitution.
Based on constitution 25% of parliament seats are appropriated for women, it means that among 249 seats in parliament 48 seats are appropriated for women but number of women’s seats increased to 49 this time which women could obtain quota of two seats from Nimroz province by gaining high votes, Fawzia Kofi who gained highest votes shows people’s believe on women in Badakhshan province, from other side women could obtain/acquire presidency of some commissions in parliament this time/term.
Opinions and accomplishment of women in last term was very significant in parliament in different fields, especially in fields of approval and adjustment of women rights and decreasing of their problems.
Representatives especially women could approve many different laws in last term, like Law on Eradication of Violence Against Women, and they say that if this law is implemented, it will prevent many violations against women, meanwhile they say that as women are not cause of any war/battle ever and they are not included in corruption, therefore they can easily take over on social and political responsibility of the country, we carry out an interview with Fawzia Kofi head of Civil Society and Human Rights in parliament about women presence in politics and this that how much this presence is efficient especially in fields of eradication of violence against women that we want you to pay attention to it.
Our discussion/interview is about role of women in parliament, and the first question is this that what is role and position of women in parliament?
Ans: Thanks, luckily presence of women was better in parliament in this round in comparison to last term, number of women in last term was 68 but this time there were 69 women representatives in the parliament which shows trust of our people on rights and active role of women in society but this presence should not be ostentatious or based on quantity, this presence should be effective in fields of legislation, and these women should delegate from all women in Afghanistan.
Ques: How do you evaluate political situation for presence of women in parliament and other governmental agencies/offices?
Ans: Presence of women in parliament of Afghanistan is good from view point of quality and quantity; there are very well talented and hard worker women than any other organs such as government or judicial organs. As we see presence of women in other government organs is very pale, especially in judicial organs and even no woman is visible in board of directors of judicial. We are looking forward to see a woman for membership of Supreme Court during introduction for ministers for voting.
Ques: Is there any challenge against women who work for politics especially those who are in parliament?
Ans: Problems which women are faced with is not limited just to women in parliament or other areas of political or social life but people from all communities are faced with these problems which the major of them are insecurity and economical poverty in the country, the poverty is not only in capital but it is visible in countryside/villages too where women are far from award/gift of job and literacy.
As we see it’s clear that more than 80% illiterate women live in Afghanistan, they don’t have an official work and most of them are busy with hard work which caused widespread poverty, form view point of me political commitment against women in government and Taliban merging process in the government has affected women presence.
Ques: Why the government doesn’t let women to take a big part in the government and other political administrative centers?
Ans: First of all I want to say that not only Afghanistan is faced this problem against women, but there are other countries which have the same problems too. The first thing which caused challenges in Afghanistan among administrative offices against women are traditions of community and second is that this issue is acceptable culturally and women doesn’t have ability of big tasks which these believes are mistakes, if we give a chance for women, they do have ability of hard and big tasks.
Another cause of women non participation in government is that government is created in the result of military coup or by force and war that luckily women were never included in these process and the next problem is no self-confidence and believe among women.
Ques: As you were in parliament in last term, how do you observe/evaluate women ideas and deed/accomplishment in execution of tasks?
Ans: Women had achievements and problems in last term in parliament; their achievements were their presence from a legal way in the parliament that they could transfer voice Afghan women to people and governmental authorities and they had a good supervisory role on accomplishment of government and these activities of women caused that people trusted women and this caused that women representatives could came up to parliament by high votes.
Women representatives were very effective in approval of all legislations except law of AHWAL SAKHSIA AHL TASAHYOU which had its own problems, but they could keep needs and facilities of women in mind in other cases, such as: many things is done regarding law on prison of women, meanwhile women were very active regarding their membership in oversee on constitution of Afghanistan, Law on Eradication of Violence Against Women and women yearn for special budget during budget approval, but I must say obviously that parliament is a legislative reference and implementation of these laws are responsibility of executive agencies/government and government has its own weaknesses in execution of these laws.
Ques: Parliament is an important organ among three governmental organs, what did you do for achieving this position?
Ans: It’s not easy to achieve a governmental position in a traditional country like Afghanistan; it did have problems to achieve. The first thing to do is satisfaction of family and makes them to trust women abilities, second is the community which should trust capability of women but it’s not easy.
Women should take exams for people many times in order to achieve their trust in such communities like Afghanistan and I passed these problems and challenges for achieving this position, and I have tried to achieve trust of people on women for 4 years during being in parliament.
Ques: As known to everyone women are harmful layer of community, how do you evaluate presence of women in parliament in relation to decrease their problems?
Ans: From view point of me, women representatives in parliament are succeeded and effective beside numerous problems in the country, but if any women face any problem in community women representatives will try to solve their problems effectively. If we pay attention to corruption, no woman is faced with it; it means that women could accomplish their responsibility well and legally.
Another issue is decision taking in parliament that women have the ability of it and can effectively take part in decisions. These struggles/endeavors of women could change mind and trust of traditional community of Afghanistan and international community which had dishonorable look about them and women informed them about their abilities, these elements caused that women were voted well in different parts of the country.
No one can stand the problems/difficulties that Afghan women tolerate like hitting, family and social violation and …., Even American and European women can’t stand them but Afghan women could and can stand against these problems.
Ques: Parliament is legislative organ; meanwhile you are head of a commission which refer to women affairs, what are your plans for women in the future?
Ans: We have suggested some plans by coordination of Human Rights Commission in parliament, Ministry of Women affairs and other governmental agencies; it should be mentioned that many affairs/tasks of ministry of women affairs were not executive but we wanted the ministry to become executive in particular units through this plan, which are much more but the key are three which one of them is employment of women in small factories, draft of this plan is sent to ministry of women affairs, in order that they give their comments, suggestion and other plans to parliament.
Meanwhile we planned to send some girls for higher education in legal and judicial fields to foreign Islamic countries, because many complains were that there is no woman with higher education, and the third aim is joining of Supreme Court Council by a woman as member of this organ that we seriously work on it.
Ques: How many women are there in Commissions for Women Affaires civil society and Human Rights and what are procedures of working?
Ans: Commissions for Women Affairs civil society and Human Rights in parliament are very successful and flourishing and there are 11 bodies in this commission and all of them participate discussion days and take decisions but the implementation is related to supervision of representatives and government.
Ques: What rate of parliament decisions are implemented by government?
Ans: Most of parliament decisions have not been implemented by government for last five years; we are witness of many parliament decisions which haven’t been executed by government like disqualification of ministers and other cases which affect democracy in the country, but we want to act coherently this time in order to oblige government to execute decisions of parliament.
Ques: As mentioned in constitution that women should have 25% of parliament seats, from view point of you isn’t it better if this process is implemented based on competition?
Ans: There is affairs quota for women in developing countries where traditions and customs of misogyny are commanded, but the thing you said it right, there are adherent and opposite views regarding this issue, some of them believe that if the system is competitive, women will be encouraged to struggle much more for achieve their aims and targets but the priority of quota system is that if views of the people is negative against women in a country then this system (Quota System) is better to be implemented, and from view point of me this system is efficient until people views, thoughts and believes develop on abilities of women.
Ques: How can we change traditional minds and thoughts of people regarding women abilities in every part of life?
Ans: Two things are effective on the subject of this issue, the first thing is mentality of community to believe women and the second thing is role of media in rising of public awareness about women abilities and also political commitment of leaders are important too.
Ques: As last question, is presence of women enough in governmental and non governmental agencies?
Ans: Women presence in judicial and executive organs is very pale, when we talk about executive agencies, we don’t mean only ministries. Its mentioned in laws that women’s presence should be 30% in governmental organs now and it must increase to 50% in the future which this issue haven’t taken place yet; if we could build this custom, it will solve most of the problems, such as: sovereignty of law will be implemented, no one will touch guns, meanwhile role of women can decrease widespread corruption which helps sovereignty of law itself.
Thanks form you Mr. Fawzia Kofi
