Women in Society
Parliamentary Election, Aina Photo Agency, Kabul, 2005
Introduction
HBS is committed to promoting equal rights of all citizens to participate in societal and political processes. While half of the population is female women are underrepresented in politics, economy and nearly all other spheres of public life. This is a big loss of capacity, and more than often the exclusion of women leads to a situation in which their interests are represented insufficiently or ignored. HBS is therefore working on women empowerment and at the same time trying to create more space for women to participate.
In all our projects, we are following a gender sensitive approach.  We have a wide range of partner organizations doing research and advocacy to improve the situation for the women in the country.  With “Afghanistan’s Parliament in the Making” HBS in 2009 published a study carried out in cooperation with UNIFEM that shed more light on women’s interests and engagement as representatives of a constituency.   
Eight years after the fall of the Taliban regime, the increasing violence and concessions toward conservative trends in society threaten the achievements that have been made with regard to women’s rights. There are many strong and engaged women in Afghanistan, however.  We try to make their voices heard in and outside the country.

Articles

Article

Concerns about a Radicalizing Influence on Girls in Northeastern Afghanistan

June 9, 2011 -

In Kunduz province families are so concerned about their daughters being radicalized through some madrasas they are enrolled in. These residents ask ministry of education and interior to closely observe such activities of the said madrasas because they are afraid that their daughters might turn into religious extremists.

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Article

How long means never? On International Women’s Day in Kabul, President Karzai commits to women’s rights

 - March 14, 2011 - Never will women’s rights be sacrificed in talks with the Taliban and never will the Afghan government close women shelters. These are the promises President Karzai made to his people in the middle of a heated debate on women’s rights in Afghanistan. These are two major commitments. Judging by the overall political trends in the country, it might not be easy to stick to them. The Afghan population and international community should watch about the implementation and take the president by his word. Bente Aika Scheller more»

Not only there but really present

Women resist efforts to marginalize them in Peace Jirga

 - June 10, 2010 - In the lead-up to the Peace Jirga that took place in Kabul from June 2 – 5, 2010, civil society activists were concerned about the intransparent procedures. The involvement of women in the event seemed crucial: Negotiations with the Taliban raise the question of how women’s rights will be affected. Women’s rights activists managed to lobby for a much stronger inclusion of women and raised the quote to about 20%. By Bente Aika Scheller more»

Reconciliation with the few, alienation of the many

Why it is so important to obtain guarantees for women's rights at the Kabul conference

 - July 18, 2010 - The Kabul conference is an important milestone for the Afghan government. With the biggest event ever hosted by Afghanistan, it will be a demonstration of the capabilities the government has developed over the last years. If the conference is not disturbed by major security incidents, this indeed will encourage other countries confidence in Afghan sovereignty and encourage them to hand over more and more responsibilities in the cluster areas as defined in the London conference. more»

Gender Democracy

Research Report

Women’s Perceptions of the Afghan National Police

The security needs of Afghan men and women differ. Whereas men bear the brunt of the direct impacts of conflict, women disproportionately suffer from the indirect effects such as increased levels of domestic violence, decreased access to health care and poverty. Due to this difference in security needs, gender must be taken into account when evaluating the relationship between citizens and the Afghan National Police (ANP).

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Interview

Afghan Women to break the barriers: An interview with Khalida Popal Captain of the Afghanistan Women’s National Football Team

 - February 20, 2011 -

It is really courageous and brave of Afghan women rising from a country where the conditions are not favorable for females and where the controversies about female football players have to be taken seriously. Many people in Afghanistan believe it is shameful for women to play any sports, especially football which is thought to be men’s sport. Yet over the last years female football is on the raise in Afghanistan. It all kicked off with the establishment of Afghanistan’s first female football club in 2004.

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Article

Afghan Woman wins Front Line Award for Human Rights Defenders at Risk

 - July 8, 2010 -

"This Front Line Award is a tribute not just to me but to all the women of Afghanistan, and in particular those women human rights defenders who on a daily basis face the risk of attack or assassination to defend the rights of other women," Dr. Sobhrang said. Dr. Soraya Sobhrang, one of the most prominent Human and Women's Rights defenders in Afghanistan, was awarded the sixth Front Line Award for Human Rights Defenders at Risk in Dublin in 2010.

 

 

 

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Policy Paper

Eight Years After: Is the Driver’s Seat Still Empty?

 - March 7, 2010 - Since the mid-1970s Afghanistan has been dominated by a spiral of violence which could not be reversed until the aftermath of Operation Enduring Freedom in late 2001. Despite these and many other real changes brought about in the lives of most Afghans, especially women, Afghans continues to suffer from human rights abuses in many areas of life. more»

Statements

Statement

Massacre of a family: Afghanistan again lost one of the prominent women

February 9, 2011 - It was a shocking incident, Friday afternoon 28th of January, 2011, when an explosion occurred in Finest super market in the Wazir Akbar Khan area.
More than eight people, including workers and customers were killed and some were severely injured. Amongst all victims, Ms. Hamida Barmaki while purchasing the requirements of her family was killed together with her husband Dr. Massod Yama – a medical doctor at one of private hospitals in Kabul and also an employee of the Finance Ministry with their four children - three girls and one boy. more»

Press Release on International EVAW Day

Women and Children Legal Research Foundation is concerned about women’s situation in Afghanistan

 - November 30, 2010 -

At least 46.9 percent of women have been facing physical violence within their families. Out of this, 12.5% of women facing physical violence resulting in their broken limbs, 6.6% of them have become permanently disabled, 22.2% of them have been wounded, and 58.7% of them have been bruised. Women and Children Legal Research Foundation, working partner of HBS Afghanistan as a legal and research entity, following its previous press releases, once again express its concerns on the legal situation of women taking into account the researches undertaken recently.

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