Source:

Süddeutsche Zeitung: 210 women participate in Loya Jirgah [ID 420]

legislation still contains numerous discriminations of women

"Nach 22 Jahren Bürgerkrieg und jahrelanger Taliban-Herrschaft, in denen sie aus dem öffentlichen Leben verbannt wurden, haben sich schon jetzt viele Frauen ihren Platz in der afghanischen Gesellschaft zurückerobert. Und nun sitzen sogar 210 Frauen in der Loja Dschirga, der Großen Ratsversammlung - von insgesamt circa 1500 Mitgliedern. (…) Im Frühjahr war eine Frauenquote festgelegt worden. 160 Plätze, also elf Prozent der Sitze, wurden den Frauen garantiert. Mitbestimmung zu haben in dem Gremium, das eine neue Regierung wählen soll - das ist ein großer Fortschritt für die Frauen in dem islamischen Land, selbst wenn Frauenministerin Sima Samar gerne eine Quote von 25Prozent festgelegt hätte. Zusätzlich zu den 160 Plätzen wurden 50 Frauen direkt in die Loja Dschirga gewählt. Das war die eigentliche Überraschung, für Leute aus dem Westen jedenfalls. Für Rina Amiri oder Vizefrauenministerin Tagwar Kakar ist es nicht so ungewöhnlich, dass afghanische Männer auch für Frauen gestimmt haben. Wenn die Familie der Betreffenden einverstanden sei und die Frau eine angesehene Persönlichkeit im Dorf sei, werde sie auch von Männern gewählt, sagen sie. Zur Euphorie besteht allerdings kein Anlass. Ohne die Quote säßen nur die 50 direkt gewählten Frauen in der Loja Dschirga. Die Menschenrechtsorganisation Human Rights Watch hat jüngst beklagt, dass es noch viele Gesetze gebe, die die Afghaninnen diskriminierten. Zum Beispiel bekommen sie nur einen Ausweis, wenn ein Mahram, ein männliches Familienmitglied, das Antragsformular unterschreibt. Berichte von zehnjährigen Mädchen, die für einen Sack Mehl verkauft wurden, oder von zwangsverheirateten jungen Frauen, die ihren Männern davongelaufen sind, und nun deswegen jahrelang im Gefängnis sitzen, zeigen, wie wenig Frauen in Afghanistan manchmal wert sind. "Natürlich sind wir eine sehr konservative, sehr traditionelle Gesellschaft", sagt Rina Amiri. "Die Frauen müssen sich innerhalb dieser Parameter bewegen."

06.06.2002 - Source: Human Rights Watch

HRW: Intimidation against women candidates ("Human Rights Watch Briefing Paper: Afghanistan: Return of the Warlords") [#7373],  [ID 421]

Chapter III: Threats to women's security and their rights

"Afghan women, especially outside Kabul, continue to face serious threats to their physical safety, denying them the opportunity to exercise their basic human rights and to participate fully and effectively in the rebuilding of their country.
A handful of women in southern Afghanistan have been undeterred by such intimidation and made progress toward election to the loya jirga. At least 160 of the 1,500 seats at the loya jirga are reserved for women, with five seats set aside for delegates from Kandahar. According to U.N. observers in Kandahar, twenty-eight women were selected during the first phase of the loya jirga. Across the southern region, one woman was selected in Helmand province, and four in Oruzgan.49
A.B., a female observer for the loya jirga commission, indicated that for the most part, the loya jirga process for females in southern Afghanistan had gone smoothly, but admitted that in many rural areas, local authorities and commanders had tried to intimidate potential female candidates.50 Strong efforts by the loya jirga commission and U.N. observers seem to have helped combat some of these instances of intimidation. Despite these modest successes, only increased security conditions can establish an enabling environment for Afghan women, and thereby ensure the inclusion of women's rights in all aspects of governance, including post-conflict reconstruction, justice, and accountability.
An example of intimidation against women candidates, and women in general, came from Candidate X, who was a candidate for the loya jirga from Kandahar city. After winning a spot in the first round of the loya jirga selection, she spoke with Human Rights Watch on May 28, 2002, a day before the second-round election for women in Kandahar.

We received a letter, it was not clear who it was from. It was addressed to my husband. It said: "If your wife participates in the loya jirga, we will kill you, and if we do, it is your sin, not ours."51
In her case, the threat appears to have failed. "I am not afraid. I am afraid of God, and not of anyone else."52 Nevertheless, when asked about security for women in Kandahar city, Candidate X was reluctant to speak openly about the situation. She described incidents of general violence and intimidation of females:
I meet about 250 women every day [through my work]. There are many mental problems with these women, because of the violence everywhere: they are afraid for their lives. There are warnings about women not to do this or that: "Do not go to school, we will kill you if you do. Do not go to work, we will kill you." Rickshaw drivers drive past, and they hit women on the back of the head, and they say, "do not go to school, we will kill you." Or: "Do not go to work."53"

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28.01.2002 - Source: UN Commission on the Status of Women

An equitable representation of women in the Loya Jirga must be ensured ("Discrimination against women and girls in Afghanistan, Report of the Secretary-General [E/CN.6/2002/5]") [#28931],  [ID 422]

"39. The Agreement on provisional arrangements in Afghanistan pending the reestablishment of permanent government institutions stipulated that these interim arrangements were intended “as a first step towards the establishment of a broadbased, gender-sensitive, multi-ethnic and fully representative government”. The 21-member Special Independent Commission is to ensure that “due attention is paid to the representation in the Emergency Loya Jirga of a significant number of women.” Furthermore, the Agreement noted that the Interim Authority and the Special Independent Commission would “ ensure the participation of women as well as the equitable representation of all ethnic and religious communities."

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