Do not forget about the women of Afghanistan

Last month the last British combat troops left Camp Bastion in Afghanistan, ending a thirteen year-long military campaign that has seen 453 of our soldiers lose their lives. For many, Britain’s involvement in Afghanistan has been controversial but few can doubt the huge sacrifice of those who have served there, or that some gains – despite the bad headlines – have been made. The results of women’s rights advocacy include the National Action Plan for the Women of Afghanistan (2008), the government commitment to implement the recommendations of UNSCR 1325, and the creation of a Ministry of Women’s Affairs.

These gains, however, are fragile, and the impacts of the Taliban regime continue.  In Afghanistan, as in most parts of the world, violence against women and girls is endemic in society.  More than 87% of Afghan women experience domestic abuse. 70% – 80% of marriages are forced, the biggest fear of women under 30 in Afghanistan is sexual assault and women human rights defenders are the targets of violence, harassment and targeted killings.

As the UK government prepares to host an international donor conference for Afghanistan on 4 December, it’s time to reflect on the positive role by the UK has played and to see what remains to be done. Where both the Afghan and UK governments have priorities under their national action plans on women, implementation of these plans is a challenge. When women leaders are excluded from national discussions and decisions, where international supporters do not prioritise women’s rights in line with their commitments, it clearly shows a lack of political will to back change.

When I recently asked the FCO Minister in the Lords on the level of involvement of civil society and women at the conference I was disappointed with the response. However since then we have had more positive action on the representation of women from Afghanistan including indications a specific women’s rights session would be held which hope will ensure the issue is reflected in the outcomes for the Conference.

Afghan women have the ability to think about their country’s development, contribute to it and lead positive change. Women should be given an equal opportunity to make a better Afghanistan. The conference is an important opportunity to secure support for the women of Afghanistan in particular, who are now more vulnerable than at any time since the Taliban were toppled in 2001.

Even a cursory look at the country today shows how much women have gained since the Taliban fell. A new constitution, ratified in 2004, enshrined gender equality in law for the first time, and a quota system means that 27% of seats in the national legislature must be held by women (by comparison, just 22% of members of the British House of Commons are women). Horrendous crimes like so-called “honour” killings, forced marriages and rape were widespread under the Taliban, with next to no recourse to justice for victims in the legal system. But that has now changed, with passage of the Elimination of Violence Against Women (EVAW) Act in 2009 criminalising these acts and creating legal safeguards for women.

But these gains are no cause for complacency. There have been troubling signs that some of the progress may be lost. The EVAW Act has been controversial among some of the more conservative politicians in the Afghan legislature and repeal has been threatened. In fact, the law was nearly overturned last year.

Now is the time not to retreat but to redouble our efforts on women’s rights. Now that Britain’s combat role is over some may think our scope for influence has narrowed but we remain a major aid donor to Afghanistan and we should ensure that this is focussed on building and supporting women’s role in Afghan society.

In the summer I met a group of women from Afghanistan at an event hosted by Amnesty International, the testimony of one woman will always stay with me. She was a teacher and had built a school for girls in one of the most conservative areas of the country. Her life has been under constant threat and subsequently her son was kidnapped and murdered. Through her tears and grief I could see her determination that the school should remain open. It is and is attended now by over 300 girls.

She and many women want us to speak up for the positive changes made over the last thirteen years. This conference is an ideal opportunity for the UK to work with Afghanistan’s new government to ensure that the progress made on women’s rights is not reversed in the future.

Lord Collins is Shadow International Development Minister