Types of women’ rights, elimination of the negative views about women’s rights

August.2012.

Pashto text of live Radio Roundtable.

Subject: Types of women’ rights, elimination of the negative views about women’s rights.

Prepared by: Mohammad Nasim Lalahand.

In the name of God, dear spectators of Killid Website and lovers of campaign of change of life! Greetings to you, we hope you are healthy; we want to start our debate on women’s rights and the elimination of negative views regarding their rights. Our guests for this roundtable are Mrs.Aqlima Abedi the trainer in Women for Women Organization, Mrs. Adela Amarkhil representative from Afghanistan Human Rights Independent Commission, Mrs.Farzana Amini the law defendant in Afghanistan Medika, I would like to welcome them and first I would like to get the first answer from Mrs.Farzana Amini.

Question: Mrs. Amini! What is the right and what is the law?

Answer: In the name of almighty God, the right has vast meaning from view point of meaning as the right means ruling and power, right is also a request and claim asked from the opposite side, if we want to define the law from view point of social science then we can say that the law is a social deed of security that is being enacted and specified in the community to ensure the relations among the people of the community or the law is an approved document by the Parliament and National Assembly that is submitted for approval to president.

Question: So what are the women’s rights from view point of law?

Answer: I believe whatever organizes the affairs of women is called the women rights, but unfortunately their rights  have not been given properly to them though we have good and specified laws but not implementing is a big problem.

Question: Mrs. Abedi! How do you assess the legal situation of the women from view point of enforced laws?

Answer: Many rights have been given to women due to attention of Islamic Sharia to the laws enacted in the country such as right of education, right of work; right of usage the human facilities in the community and other rights that the women have not benefited from their rights and privileges within past ten years, if they have benefited they would be less in number and would be only in the center, the women in remote areas have not benefitted from their rights at all even they don’t have public awareness about due to lack of  public awareness possibilities so there is necessity for many efforts to ensure the rights of the women that women can properly benefit their rights and can have good achievements.

Therefore I can say that if the rights of women who are 50% of the country are not heeded many problems would raise in the community, for instance if the education right of them is not heeded they would be illiterate and would not be able to participate properly in the community, their children would also not benefit from education due to illiteracy of the women.

Question: Mrs. Amini what are the rights that have been considered in laws for the women, have they been implemented yet?

Answer: Every human being either man or woman is benefited from the basic rights that they should get gain of them, there  are certain rights that the laws has paid attention about for instance the constitution of Afghanistan has given equal rights to men and women apart from any fanaticism as the equal rights of education has been given to both, but indecent customs in the community are concerns for us because unfortunately our community is a traditional community, the rights given by Islam to women are great rights and effective in women’s life though they are not being put in practice, the indecent customs still exist in our community which effected the Islamic laws as well,  for instance the right of legacy of the women which is not given to the women in our community as it is considered as a shame though Islam doesn’t has any problem about, we ourselves are the problem as we don’t obey the Islamic guidance rather we obey all indecent customs so this situation proves the existence of indecent customs in the community, so in order that the women can benefit their rights the public awareness must be conducted through perceiving the community.

Question: Mrs. Amarkhil! Are the rights given by Islam in the law enough clear?

Answer: Afghanistan is an Islamic country, any law that moves toward implementation border has not been contrary to Islamic principles, when the law is implemented the justice would also be implemented, the lack of law implementation cause the deprivation of the women from their rights, so I can say that we have very clear laws in the country in which the women rights have been respected but explaining of women’s rights to women and giving the public awareness to the community  about women rights are the issues very important, the governmental authorities also should try in implementation and  comprehension field beside the public awareness.

(In Dari version no question was seen in this part of interview)

Answer: No problem is seen in the approved laws regarding the women to show the contradiction to Islamic principles, but there is possibility that some people interpret/construe   incorrectly the Law of Elimination of Violence Against the Women as they would think that law has been drafted based on wish of west but this is not the case, the mentioned law has been complied based on articles number 24 and 54 of constitution in which only the issues regarding the protection of families have been inserted but there are some people that are trying to give incorrect mentality to the community about the mentioned law and create obstacle in the way of implementation of the mentioned law therefore this can be the reason for  lack of laws implementation.

Question: Mrs. Abedi! What we should do to eliminate this incorrect mentality and misinterpretation of the law?

Answer: I think, existence of indecent customs in the community, misinterpretation of the law and disobedience of women rights have created the problems so there is need that the governmental authorities specifically the ministry of Culture and Information and ministry of  Haj and Pious Foundations and other concerned offices should try to give the awareness about women rights to people.

Question: Mrs. Amarkhil! Is there any article in enforced laws of the country that is not acceptable for the women/that have been rejected by the women?

Answer: I don’t think so that there would be issues to be rejected by the women rather the problem is that the laws neither have been proved to women nor explained to women.

Question: Mrs. Abedi! Have the activities of the associations that are working in defense of human rights proved to be effective?

Answer: Though the mentioned associations have carried out many activities that have put positive effect on women life but these activities are less considering to the current situation in the country, the mentioned associations also have given awareness to people reading the women’s rights but the mentioned activities have not been accomplished in remote areas due to illiteracy and security difficulties.

Question: Mrs. Amini! Has the government taken steps regarding the women rights or not?

Answer: Yes, the government has had activities in this regard, the government has paid its attention regarding women rights and has provided good groundwork for women, because the women were deprived from all activities but now the government has done a lot for the women, such as the elimination of the violence against the women is one of the achievement that the government has had, the establishment of ministry of women affairs is another achievement of the government, I think the public awareness regarding the women’s rights is important not only for the women rather it is important for the men as well.