To mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on 25 November, Misereor is drawing attention to the dramatic situation of women in Afghanistan. After the radical Taliban government passed around 100 misogynistic decrees as a virtue law in October, the situation of women and girls is deteriorating dramatically every day. Women are being pushed out of public life, they are banned from education and employment, and many suffer violence, abuse and hunger. Misereor is calling on the German government to continue all efforts to reach women in Afghanistan.
"Women's voices should not be heard, not in public, not in churches, not in prayers," says Amira Shirin*, a Misereor project partner from Afghanistan who is currently in Germany. The fact that women are no longer allowed to speak in public is a consequence of the virtue law that has been introduced, which restricts women in all areas of life. "The repressive rules have an ever tighter grip on our lives. Women who were once able to move freely are now forced into darkness and hidden behind veils. The fear of abduction, violence and even murder is a constant companion for Afghan women," says Shirin. Women are sexualised by the Taliban as "seductresses" of men. The enforcers of the law, so-called guardians of virtue, are allowed to punish non-compliance at their own discretion - their violence is often directed specifically against women.
The humanitarian situation is dramatic
"The situation in the country is disastrous," emphasises Anna Dirksmeier, Misereor expert for Afghanistan. The new laws of the terror regime are driving many women and their children into starvation. Widows and single parents are particularly hard hit. According to the United Nations, 97 per cent of the population lives in poverty. More than half of the 42 million inhabitants are dependent on humanitarian aid to survive. In October, the European Court of Justice ruled that all Afghan women in the EU have the right to asylum. "This is a unique and clear sign of how dramatic the situation is for women. But escaping is virtually impossible. Their fundamental rights are being trampled underfoot," says Dirksmeier.
Utilise room for manoeuvre and adhere to red lines
This is why Misereor is calling on the German government to utilise its scope for action in international cooperation to reach women in Afghanistan - even if their lives are now mostly at home. "No matter how small the scope is, every opportunity to reach women in the country should be utilised. If aid can no longer reach Afghan women, Misereor has reached a red line. Misereor will not support any projects without women," explains Dirksmeier. She emphasises that health care, basic needs, educational opportunities and future prospects for women must remain clear objectives of cooperation.
* For security reasons, the name has been changed by the editors.
Misereor is asking for donations for the project partners in Afghanistan:
Keyword: Emergency aid Afghanistan, S05242
IBAN: DE75 3706 0193 0000 1010 10
Bank: Pax Bank Aachen
Although the Taliban are massively restricting the work of Misereor's partner organisations, Misereor remains at the side of the people in Afghanistan to support particularly needy people, especially women.
