Women for Afghan Women Welcome Agreement

Women for Afghan Women Welcome Agreement

Women for Afghan Women
Press Release, 4 December, 2001

Women for Afghan Women Press Release 4 December, 2001

Press Contacts: Fahima Danishgar (212) 817-8225; fdanishgar@hotmail.com Sunita Mehta (212) 260-4446, sunitabmehta@aol.com

Women for Afghan Women (WAW) welcomes the inclusion of women members of the new Afghan transitional government agreed upon in Germany today. We thank and congratulate all the women and men who advocated for the inclusion of women in the interim government, especially those women who were present at the meetings in Bonn.

We offer personal congratulations to Sima Samar, who will serve as a deputy to Hamid Karzai, head of the interim administration, and to Suhaila Seddiqi, who will hold the public health portfolio.

WAW calls for a continuing participation of these women, as well as other qualified Afghan women, in upcoming decision-making processes on the future of Afghanistan.

Given that Afghan women constitute more than half the total Afghan population, WAW cautions against an inadequate representation of women in a future Afghan administration. These women must be full participants with equal voting rights and decision-making authority as men.

We are excited about the creation of the Ministry for Women and Children. However, while women’s rights need to be prioritized and emphasized, and therefore rightfully deserve a separate division, women's rights should be incorporated throughout all facets of government and society.

ENDS

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