Fawzia Koofi, a female member of the Afghan parliament, published an open letter this week to American women, urging them to continue standing shoulder-to-shoulder with women in Afghanistan.
Koofi’s letter, entitled “A Letter to My American Sisters,” dispels the media myth that women’s lives have not improved since the fall of the Taliban regime in 2001. In the last 12 years, women have made significant gains in Afghanistan. Afghan women have established a strong and thriving feminist movement. They outpace American women in elected office, are visible in the media, and hold jobs in medicine, law, the police force, the military, and more.
“If the world could only see through our eyes,” Koofi writes, “they might get a glimpse of the fact that Afghan women have come a long way over the last decade.”
This is not to say that the journey for Afghan women is over. “While no one can question the gains made by the Afghan people, especially the women, our achievements remain extremely fragile,” Koofi continues. “This is partly due to the country’s uncertain political future and doubts about the international community’s long-term commitment, especially that of the United States.”
Koofi ended her letter by calling on the United States and the international community not to abandon the women of Afghanistan and to “help us a little more in fighting extremism, consolidating our gains, moving toward ending violence against women, and achieving something that all women around the world want: equality for both genders and for all.”
This is an important time of transition for the Afghan people and their supporters. It is imperative that the U.S. and the international community ensure that Afghan civil society organizations, including women-led groups, remain strong. In particular, we must continue to support women’s advancement and equality in Afghanistan.
TAKE ACTION: Pledge with us to support Afghan women and Afghan women’s organizations. Let them know that we are proud to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with them in the fight for women’s and girls’ equality. And urge President Karzai to sign the Bilateral Security Agreement, which would help to protect Afghan women’s rights.