At a Senate Foreign Relations Committee Hearing on Afghanistan on Wednesday, several witnesses asserted that security is the main concern in Afghanistan. Mark Schneider of the International Crisis Group stated that efforts in Afghanistan “may fail because the administration has been unwilling to recognize the magnitude of threats which we face and to direct sufficient political, military, and financial resources to overcome them.” Schneider urged an expansion of international security assistance forces (ISAF) in Afghanistan, stating that the expansion of “NATO/ISAF remains the lynchpin to greater progress on peace, political transformation, relief, and reconstruction.” According to Robert Perito of the United States Institute for Peace, “Warlords and militia commanders are a major source of insecurity and a threat to the central government É US military support for Ôregional influentials’ is in conflict with our overall policy of promoting national unity and a strong, democratic, central government.” Only 20 percent of the 10.5 million eligible Afghan voters are currently registered, of which 30 percent are women. Poor security has not only delayed voter registration, but the Afghan election itself. The first post-Taliban elections that were to take place in June were postponed until September due to the lack of security. Despite the dire security situation in Afghanistan, peacekeeping forces in Afghanistan remain a small contingent of some 6,000 soldiers. The Feminist Majority and other leading women’s rights and human rights advocates argue that without security, women in Afghanistan will never be able to obtain their rights and the country will never have sustained peace and democracy. TAKE ACTION Urge the Bush Administration to Take Immediate Action to Expand Peace Troops DONATE to the Feminist Majority Foundation’s Campaign for Afghan Women and Girls
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Anti-Abortion Extremist Sentenced to 18 Years for Child Molestation
Anti-abortion extremist John Burt was sentenced today to over 18 years in prison for molesting a 15-year-old girl. A jury in Pensacola, Florida found him guilty of four counts of lewd or lascivious molestation and one count of lewd or lascivious contact in early April. The young girl was living at Our Father’s House, Burt’s so-called home for “unwed” mothers, at the time. Her family may sue Burt for the girl’s emotional damage. In the early 1980s, John Burt, who was the Regional Director of Rescue America at the time, was at the center of disruptions at the Pensacola, Florida clinics. In 1986, Burt led an invasion into the Ladies Center Clinic in Pensacola, which led to his arrest and conviction along with Joan Andrews Bell, an associate of James Kopp, who was convicted of assassinating Dr. Barnett Slepian. Joseph Scheidler was touring at the time on his book, “99 Ways to Close an Abortion Clinic.” Scheidler was on the lawn in front of the clinic at the time of the invasion. This incident was the impetus for the NOW v. Scheidler case that went to the Supreme Court twice and is still in litigation. In 1993, Burt was leading a Rescue America protest outside the second Pensacola clinic when an Our Father’s House volunteer, Michael Griffin, shot and killed Dr. David Gunn in the rear of the clinic. Burt was also an associate of Paul Hill, who murdered Dr. Bayard Britton and volunteer escort James Barrett outside the Ladies Center Clinic in Pensacola in 1994. Burt was videotaped helping Paul Hill identify Dr. Britton outside the clinic in the weeks before Hill shot and killed Dr. Britton and his clinic escort. In the past, Our Father’s House had the support of even national organizations; for example, Judie Brown, president of the American Life League, wrote a letter praising both Burt and Our Father’s House. DONATE to the Feminist Majority Foundation to support our National Clinic Access Project, which is dedicated to curbing clinic violence
Afghanistan’s Disarmament in Serious Jeopardy
The United Nations has warned that Afghanistan’s disarmament program is in “serious jeopardy.” According to UN News, the top UN official in Afghanistan warned that the disarmament program is in danger because of obstruction by militiamen in the country.
According to the spokesperson for the Special Representative of the Secretary-General in Afghanistan, “the Afghan people know from bitter experience that the country will not enjoy lasting peace until rival armies have demobilized and been replaced by one national army under central government control,” reports UN News. Afghanistan’s Ministry of Defense had a plan to disarm 40 percent of the 100,000 fighters by the end of June, reports the Associated Press. However, the UN has asserted that the plan still has yet to begin.
Meanwhile, despite the recent killings of three election personnel, voter registration in Afghanistan is continuing. According to IRIN News, only 1.9 million out of the 10.5 million Afghans eligible to vote have been registered due to the rise in security threats around the country. Thirty percent of those registered are women.
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Anti-Abortion Extremist Found Guilty of Molestation
Anti-abortion extremist John Burt was found guilty on Thursday of molesting a young girl. The 15-year-old girl lived at Our Father’s House, Burt’s so-called home for “unwed mothers,” in Santa Rosa County, Florida. Burt was found guilty of four counts of lewd or lascivious molestation and one count of lewd or lascivious conduct. Each charge is a second-degree felony and carries with it up to 15 years in prison, according to the Pensacola News. Burt will be sentenced at a hearing on May 12.
John Burt has a long history of connections to violence against abortion clinics in the Pensacola, FL area. He has been arrested numerous times for his participation disruptive protests and clinic invasions. A 1986 invasion led by Burt was the impetus for the NOW v. Scheidler case. Burt led protests in Pensacola on behalf of two couples that bombed three local clinics on Christmas Day in 1984. Burt was outside the Pensacola clinic when an Our Father’s House volunteer, Michael Griffin, murdered Dr. David Gunn in 1993. Griffin’s family later claimed that John Burt had manipulated Griffin. Burt is also an associate of Paul Hill, who murdered Dr. Bayard Britton and volunteer escort James Barrett outside another local Pensacola clinic in 1994. Burt is on film helping Paul Hill identify Dr. Britton outside the clinic in the weeks before Hill shot and killed Dr. Britton and his clinic escort.
TAKE ACTION Sign up for the March for Women’s Lives on April 25 to help keep abortion safe and legal
Iraqi Female Minister Escapes Assassination
Earlier this week, Iraq’s only female interim minister, Nasreen Barwari, escaped an assassination attempt near Mosul. Barawari’s three bodyguards were killed when gunmen opened fire on her convoy. According to Amnesty International, women and girls not wearing the hijab in Basra have been threatened and are afraid to go outside for fear of rape, abduction, and other violence.
Threats against women’s rights activists and Iraqi women leaders have been escalating in Iraq. Last month a leading women’s rights activist Holland, who worked tirelessly in Iraq to help Iraqi women achieve their rights, became one of the first American civilian employees of the Coalition Provisional Authority to be killed in Iraq. Earlier this year, an Iraqi women’s rights activist from Canada, Yanar Mohamed, received death threats for campaigning to repeal the US-backed Iraqi Governing Council’s Resolution 137 that would have put family law under Islamic law.
Women’s Rights Groups in Iraq Threatened
Threats against women’s rights leaders and organizations have been increasing in Iraq over the past few weeks. According to IRIN News, women working for Women for Women International have received a series of threats that have kept half the staff at home for two days because of poor security. The other half went to Amman Jordan for safety. According to Anissa Badaoudi of the National NGO Support Working Group, other women’s organizations have been threatened as well, reports IRIN News.
Earlier this month, women’s rights activist Fern L. Holland was killed in Iraq. Holland, who worked tirelessly in Iraq to help Iraqi women achieve their rights, became one of the first American civilian employees of the Coalition Provisional Authority to be killed in Iraq.
In addition, an Iraqi women’s rights activist from Canada, Yanar Mohamed, received death threats, for campaigning for the repeal of the US-backed Iraqi Governing Council’s Resolution 137 that would have put family law under Islamic law, earlier this year. Mohamed, the founder of the Organization for Women’s Freedom in Iraq and the editor of the Equality newspaper, continues to receive death threats today for her work promoting women’s rights under the constitution, reports IRIN News.
Other leading Iraqi women have been targeted. Last fall, Aquila Hashima, one of only three women on Iraq’s Governing Council, was killed after her car was ambushed and Iraq’s Minister of Public Works Nasreen Barwari has also reported receiving threats.
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WA: First Woman Captain on State Patrol Sues Department
The first woman to become a captain in Washington’s State Patrol has filed a lawsuit against the department alleging sexual harassment and gender discrimination.
Colleen McIntyre alleges that she missed out on an assignment in 2001 largely based on her gender, and that she was treated less favorably than a male colleague for violating a similar internal rule, according to the Associated Press. The lawsuit also contends that she lost her job in 2002 for complaining about her unfair treatment.
McIntyre was allegedly fired for violating a “truthfulness” regulation, the AP reports. She was reinstated this year after the state Court of Appeals ruled that her termination had been illegal because she was never properly charged with any violations.
“The court has already determined that she was wrongly terminated, and now this lawsuit is to determine why,” said Valerie Zeeck, one of McIntyre’s attorneys, according to the Seattle Times. “We believe there is a larger pattern of discriminatory conduct in the [Washington State Patrol].”
“The record already reflects abundant evidence that the command staff engaged in discriminatory behavior and when she complained about that, they retaliated against her,” Zeek told the Associated Press.
McIntyre is seeking to regain her former rank of captain as well as compensation for lost wages and medical expenses, AP reports.
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Over 40 Percent of Jordanian Women Suffer Abuse
According to a recent United Nations report, 42 percent of Jordanian women suffer physical abuse and continue to face discrimination in economic and political spheres. The reports states two out of every three women will suffer abuse at least once in their lifetimes, reports the Jordan Times. In addition, the report states that educated women are less likely to suffer acts of violence, as only 1 percent of the victims were educated women.
According to the United Nations Development Fund’s (UNIFEM) report, “Status of Jordanian Women: Demography, Economic Participation, Political Participation and Violence,” a woman’s potential to affect her own well-being and that of her community is hampered by social and cultural factors, reports the Jordan Times. However, the study did find that more women are running for Jordan’s parliamentary elections than in previous years.
The report is the first that statistically analyzes violence against women in Jordan, reports BBC News.
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Women’s Rights Leaders Speak Out on Violence Against Women
At a Congressional Forum on International Women’s Rights and Security yesterday, several Congresswomen and women’s rights leaders asserted that more work needs to be done to end violence against women around the world.
Sponsored by Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), the forum featured Congresswomen Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), Louise Slaughter (D-NY), and Hilda Solis (D-CA). Rep. Schahowsky stated that there has been a growing recognition among the women in Congress of abuses against women internationally. “All of us have to take on the responsibility [to work against women’s rights abuses] …because if we don’t no one will.”
Regarding Afghanistan, Eleanor Smeal, president of the Feminist Majority, asserted that the United States policies and the policies of the developed world “must change.” Last week, at the release of the Global Women’s Issues Scorecard, Smeal stated that “the Bush Administration’s statements have been very strong on the topics of women’s rights in the Afghan Constitution, security, and reconstruction in Afghanistan. However, these strong statements have not been met with action.”
Smeal also said, “Though women’s rights are guaranteed in the Afghan Constitution, they are very fragile … on the ground, the lack of security makes women’s already fragile rights even weaker.”
According to Dr. Lynn Amawitz of Physicians for Human Rights there were two reported honor killings a day in Nasirya, Iraq during her ten-day stay there. It is unknown how many unreported killings occurred during this period. Amawitz stated that she was unsure exactly how prevalent honor killings were in Southern Iraq but she was sure they were common events. According to Kelly Hayes-Raitt, of the Community Campaign in Iraq, the impact of the war in Iraq has fallen heavily on women because over one million Iraqi men have been killed over the past decade, leaving women to be the victims of the current of war. Hayes-Raitt noted that “in spite of the fact the United States dropped bombs on all the ministries” the only one that did not get bombed was the Ministry of Oil.
Meanwhile, according to the New York Times, human rights workers and doctors are finding cases of young women in Afghanistan who have set themselves on fire as a way to escape family life and the tribal traditions they are forced to endure such as forced marriage to men as much as three times their age.
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Pentagon Questioned About Sexual Assaults in Military
Both Democrat and Republican Senators questioned top Pentagon officials and officers last week about the military’s failure to protect servicewomen from sexual assault, to provide the proper medical treatment and counseling to victims, and to punish the violators.
According to the New York Times, military officials have reported 112 reports of sexual misconduct over the past year and a half in Iraq, Kuwait, and Afghanistan. The New York Times has reported that the servicewomen’s complaints have ranged from incomplete investigations to lack of emergency rape kits and medical care.
Senator Ben Nelson (D-NE) stated that he is concerned because he doesn’t “feel a sense of outrage by military leadership, not at this point at least,” according to the NY Times. According to the LA Times, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld ordered a high-level review of the reports of sexual assaults and the care that was provided to the victims.
Women make up approximately 15 percent of the overall military and about 10 percent of US troops currently in Iraq.
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Rape Charges Continue to Surface at Colorado University
In the weeks since ex-University of Colorado football place-kicker Katie Hnida’s accusation that she was raped by a teammate and sexually assaulted by several fellow players in 2000, seven more women have come forward alleging they were also raped by CU players or recruits.
Last week, Colorado University President Elizabeth Hoffman placed head coach Gary Barnett on paid administrative leave for comments he made about Hnida’s athletic ability, according to NBC 5 News: “It’s a guy’s sport. [Players] felt like Katie was forced on them. It was obvious Katie was not very good. She was awful. You know what guys do? They respect your ability… Katie was not only a girl, she was terrible.”
“In the context of a rape allegation, it is inappropriate to make statements about the ability of the player,” Hoffman told CNN.
The National Organization for Women (NOW) has called for Barnett’s resignation. “Aside from insulting Katie Hnida and allegedly using intimidation to protect his players, Barnett seems to be saying that bad players deserve whatever they get-including assault. With statements like this, are we to believe that Coach Barnett was completely unaware of his players’ actions?” asked NOW President Kim Gandy. “Furthermore, Barnett’s immediate ‘blame the victim’ response to media inquiries only makes it more suspicious that there was misconduct.”
Security Concerns May Delay Afghan Elections, US May Arm Militias
Elections in Afghanistan that were planned for June may be postponed due to increased security threats. According to EurasiaNet, a leading expert on Afghanistan, Ahmed Rashid, cites the lack of security and the lack of international funding as the main reason for the possible postponement of the elections. Rashid also expressed his grave concern about the US discussion of creating a so-called Afghan Guard by rebuilding and arming militias that would undermine the United Nations disarmament program. According to the Financial Times, there are approximately 110,000 fighters in the militia groups. The Feminist Majority is concerned that the arming of local militias to increase security would worsen rather than solve the security problems in Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, at a hearing of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on International Economic Policy, Chief Acquisition Officer of the US Agency for International Development Timothy Beans stated that the “security situation [in Afghanistan] is dominating everything.” Beans reported that a lot of people want to go out to Afghanistan to work but the ongoing problem is the security situation that exists.
According to the New York Times, five Afghan aid workers were killed in an ambush just outside Kabul yesterday. More than a hundred people have been killed since the beginning of this year, including humanitarian aid workers, government officials, and foreign and Afghan security forces. Despite the dire security situation in Afghanistan, peacekeeping forces in Afghanistan are a small contingent of some 5,500. Without security, women in Afghanistan will never be able to obtain their rights and the country will never have sustained peace and democracy.
The Feminist Majority is leading the call for international peacekeeping force (ISAF) expansion, increased reconstruction funding, and more resources to support the work of the Ministry of Women’s Affairs and the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission.
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Anti-Abortion Extremist Pleads Guilty in Plot to Bomb Clinics
Anti-abortion extremist Stephen Jordi, charged with plotting to bomb abortion clinics, lesbian and gay bars, and some churches, pleaded guilty this month to one count of attempted arson. Jordi, a self-proclaimed terrorist, according to prosecutors, could face up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000, the Associated Press reports.
Federal prosecutors agreed to drop charges of distributing material about explosives and possessing an unregistered firearm in exchange for the guilty plea on attempted arson. The FBI had been investigating Jordi after a tip from his brother that Jordi intended to bomb women’s health clinics. The FBI gathered information on Jordi using an informant posing as an anti-abortion extremist.
In September 2003, Stephen Jordi attended the anti-abortion activities in Florida surrounding the execution of Paul Hill, who murdered an abortion provider and a volunteer escort. He was photographed during these activities with convicted clinic bomber Joshua Graff and Neal Horsley, creator of the “Nuremberg Files” website. FBI agents traced at least six phone calls from Jordi to Graff or Horsley following the execution.
National Center for Women and Policing Honors Chief Chambers
The Feminist Majority Foundation’s National Center for Women and Policing announced yesterday that it will honor US Park Police Chief Teresa Chambers with its Lifetime Achievement Award. Chambers has recently been the target of a review by the Department of the Interior for speaking out on the need for increased funding to hire more park police officers to patrol national monuments. The first female Park Police Chief, Chambers has been placed on paid administrative leave after refusing to agree to a permanent gag order.
“Chief Chambers is being honored for achievement in law enforcement while her law enforcement credentials and badge gather dust in a desk drawer,” said Chas Offutt, Communication and Outreach Director of Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER), which has been rallying support for Chambers. “It is not surprising that the first woman chief of the US Park Police is now facing this type of intense scrutiny,” said Margie Moore, Director of the National Center for Women and Policing. “It also seems selective enforcement of federal regulations is alive and well when it comes to measuring the flaws of federal executives, namely women.”
The Lifetime Achievement Award is given to Chambers in recognition of her outstanding leadership over a 28-year law enforcement career. Chambers was previously Chief of Police of the Durham, North Carolina Police Department, where she is credited with significantly reducing crime while improving morale and staff retention. Chambers will formally accept the award during the 9th Annual Leadership Conference of the National Center for Women and Policing, which will be held in Boca Raton, Florida from April 27-30.
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Over 1300 Priests Accused of Sex Abuse Since 1950s
A survey of US Catholic dioceses conducted by the Associated Press found that 1,341 priests had been accused of sexual abuse since the 1950s, with less than half of the dioceses reporting. A report commissioned by the US Conference of Catholic Bishops is scheduled to be released on February 27 by the John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Though this report won’t break down the numbers by diocese, 60 dioceses plan to release their own individual statistics this month.
Previous estimates of the scope of the priest sex abuse have ranged from 1,200 priests by the New York Times in January 2003 to 1,800 by the victims’ advocacy group Survivors First. David Chlohessy, national director of Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP), told the Associated Press that “it’s never been about how many priests, how many victims, how much money. It’s always been about how the bishops respond.” David Cerulli, a SNAP board member, emphasized that “the real issue is not what hundreds of abusive clergy have done, but rather what dozens of complicit bishops are doing. They remain focused, even now, largely on damage control rather than genuine outreach, healing and prevention.” Victims’ advocates are also skeptical of the survey because it relies on self-reporting by members of the church, AP reports.
Rumsfeld Orders Investigation into Sexual Assaults on Female Soldiers
Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld has ordered a review into the Defense Department’s measures to prevent sexual attacks against female soldiers. This review was called for after a series of reports were issued regarding male soldiers assaulting and abusing female soldiers who were also denied adequate counseling and medical care during duty in Iraq and Kuwait. According to Reuters, Rumsfeld asked for the report and recommendations to be made within ninety days.
According to the Washington Post, 88 cases of sexual misconduct have been reported over the past year in areas where the Central Command operates, including Iraq and Kuwait. Thirty-eight female officers say they have been sexually assaulted in Kuwait and Iraq, of which 12 reported the assaults to the authorities.
Rumsfeld has ordered “commanders at every level…to take appropriate steps to prevent sexual assaults, protect victims and hold those who commit offences accountable,” according to Reuters. He went on to say in his memo that the Department of Defense is “responsible for ensuring that the victims of sexual assault are properly treated, their medical and psychological needs are properly met, our policies and programs effective, and we are prompt in dealing with all issues involved,” Reuters reports. In addition, Rumsfeld stated that he wants to ensure that there are private channels that exist for victims to report attacks.
According to Reuters, women make up approximately 15 percent of the overall military and about 10 percent of US troops currently in Iraq.
Women Apply to Air Force Academy in Record Numbers
Despite the recent sex assault scandal, women applied to the Air Force Academy in record numbers for the class of 2008. The school received 2,966 applications from women, which is almost 160 percent more women than in 2003. The number of applications this year also breaks the previous record of 2,878 women applicants in 1988 for the class of 1992.
Air Force Academy spokesperson Johnny Whitaker attributes some of the increase to the attention the school has received after dozens of women students charged that school officials ignored their allegations of sexual assault, according to Knight Ridder. “It’s not unusual to see a spike in women applicants after a sex scandal at what was thought to be an all-male institution,” said Eleanor Smeal, president of the Feminist Majority Foundation. “What often happens is that women find out, perhaps for the first time, that the institution is open to women.”
A survey released late last year found that 18 percent of female cadets reported being sexually assaulted at least once. The results of a Pentagon inquiry into the scandal will be released as early as March.
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US Cuts Aid to Ecuador Over International Criminal Court
The United States is withholding millions of dollars in military aid to Ecuador because of Ecuador’s reluctance to sign an agreement with the US that would grant US military immunity from the International Criminal Court (ICC). Last July, the US stated that it would freeze military aid, such as the $15 million for Ecuador, to nations that would not enter into bilateral agreements in which the countries agree never to surrender American nationals to trials on war crimes, genocide, and crimes against humanity.
According to the International Press Service, US officials last week used the first intergovernmental conference on genocide to be held since 1948 to lobby against the ICC. Fifty-five countries signed a declaration on ways to fight genocide, and the ICC is the body that would be used to try crimes such as genocide. Due to the pressure from the United States, the declaration did not even mention the International Criminal Court as a vehicle with which to prevent and try crimes against humanity such as genocide and ethnic cleansing, reports the Associated Press.
The ICC has widespread support in the US from groups such as the Feminist Majority because it identifies gender crimes and the crime of apartheid as crimes against humanity. Article 7 of the Rome Statute, which created the court, presents clear language that defines rape, sexual slavery, enforced prostitution, forced pregnancy, enforced sterilization, or any other form of sexual violence of comparable gravity as gender crimes. 132 countries have signed onto the treaty establishing the ICC. The United States is currently the only industrialized country that has not signed the treaty.
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Asian Woman Nominated for San Francisco Interim Police Chief
Yesterday, the San Francisco Police Commission voted unanimously to nominate Assistant Police Chief Heather Fong as the city’s Interim Police Chief. Mayor Gavin Newsom picked Fong for the position on Sunday and is expected to have her sworn in today, NBC11 reports. The mayor told the San Francisco Chronicle that he hopes Fong will be able to restore public trust in the department after a 2002 scandal.
Fong, a 26-year veteran, says she will quickly launch her concrete plans to reform the department. The Chronicle went on to say that members of the city’s Asian community hope that after the appointment of an Asian American to the post they will see improvements made to police relations with the Asian community, including hiring more Asian language speaking officers. Last Friday, Mayor Newsom swore in another woman, Joanne Hayes-White, as San Francisco’s first woman fire chief.
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Security Imperils Voter Registration, Women Make Up 22% of Voters
The number of women registering to vote in Afghanistan’s upcoming elections has increased. However, according to the UN News Service, overall registration is still low. The Chairman of the Join Electoral Management Body, Zakim Shah, stated, “To achieve a representative government in Afghanistan, we have to work together as a whole nation, one in which women are an essential part of society.”
The latest figures show that 22 percent of the 320,770 Afghans registered are women. In mid-December only 70,000 people were registered of which 13 percent were women. According to the UN News Service, the number of women registered in Kabul is 20 percent, Bamiyan is 43 percent, Jalabad is 15 percent, Mazar is 24 percent, Kunduz is 17 percent, Kandahar is 21 percent, Gardez is 11 percent, and Herat is 30 percent. The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) stated that once security conditions improve registration will be extended other areas of the country.
Lakhdar Brahimi, the outgoing United Nations Envoy in Afghanistan, recently stated that the lack of security in Afghanistan is a major challenge to implementing the agreement calling for elections in June. The Feminist Majority and other leading women’s rights and human rights organizations are calling for an expansion of ISAF in order to make enforcement of the constitution, women_s rights, human rights, and democracy possible.
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