WUNRN
By Dr. Massouda Jalal
Jalal Foundation Urges
Afghan Women
to Elect a President with a
Women’s Agenda
A Possible 10-Point Women’s Agenda
Among the Presidential candidates who approached you for
vote, who has a clear agenda on gender equality and the protection of women’s
rights? And among those who make
commitments on women’s rights, is there anyone who holds a decent track record
of good performance and delivery? It is
not enough for candidates to have a women’s agenda. They should also reflect a
track record on not being anti-women or anti-human rights. They should also
have a track record of being able to perform their duties as public officials
with competence and integrity.
Jalal Foundation recommends that women come up with a check
list of qualities to look for in a Presidential candidate who is likely to
promote women’s status and rights. Part
of the checklist could be:
h
no record of violating women’s rights
h has done something positive to promote
women’s status
h practices gender equality and respect
for women’s rights in personal life
h no alliance with fundamentalists
h
has clear written agenda to improve women’s rights and status
h has integrity and is a competent leader
Women should also come up with a ten-point agenda and
negotiate that Presidential candidates commit to their implementation. Examples
of what may be included in a10-point women’s agenda are:
1. Issuing of land ownership documents on
all lands with no official government document jointly to wives and husbands
as shared properties of husbands land owners all over the country;
2. Implementation of affirmative action
policy to attain at least 30 percent representation of women in government
entities, especially in high level decision making, including the Cabinet;
3. Protecting all the gender equality
provisions in the present Constitution;
4. Review and amendment of government
policies and laws that are discriminatory to women or in contravention with
their rights;
5.
Leading and supporting the
afghan civil society towards Afghan women’s empowerment agenda;
6.
Stronger implementation of
the National Action Plan for the Women of Afghanistan (NAPWA), including an
annual President’s Status Report on its implementation;
7.
Allocation of a specific
percentage of official development assistance for gender equality
projects/initiatives, especially for economic empowerment of women;
8.
Enactment of the EVAW Decree
with its original provisions intact;
9.
Fostering of national social
transformation that honors human dignity of both women and men, rejects
violence and tyranny, and reforms institutional teachings and practices towards
an inclusive society; and
10. Improvement of social services (health,
education, housing, transportation, income earning opportunities, etc.) for
women, especially those who are most disadvantaged.
Jalal Foundation encourages women to rally around candidates
who have clear agenda for women and are capable and committed to implement what
they promise to do. Let the women’s
agenda roll and find meaning in the lives of embattled women voters. Women’s vote will make a lot of difference in
reducing the many issues that make life a journey of
suffering for many Afghan women and girls.