9 October 2010 - Women’s rights was the focus of a recent event in Qalat, capital of Zabul province, where speakers talked about women’s rights as enshrined in both Islam and the Constitution of Afghanistan.

Hundreds of women and girls listened to the call of speakers for them to be vigilant about their rights to stop being considered as second-class citizens.

“Girls are often forced to get married without their consent and often at young ages. They are not allowed to go to schools or participate in social activities. In remote areas, women are only required to look after household chores and are confined behind four walls,” a participant told media who covered the event.

To help women earn a living, the provincial government is providing employment to the womenfolk. “We are ready to provide job opportunities for the women in the government departments. They will be paid salaries up to US$ 250 and will work shoulder to shoulder with their male colleagues,” said Mr Mohammad Rasol Yar, an advisor to the governor of Zabul.

The lead-up activity to the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women in November had members of government departments, the Provincial Reconstruction team (PRT), the Department of Women’s Affairs, media, civil society and the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) attending.

Women continue to suffer in the southern region where insecurity and obedience to strict traditions and customs remain major obstacles in the protection of their rights. Though the provincial Department of Women Affairs said only three cases of violence have been reported so far this year, Ms Sadiqa Jalali, head of the women’s group, Harakate Khwaharan Association, believes that violence against women still prevails at a larger scale in Zabul province.

The speakers stressed that women are an important part of the society and should stand firm in order to protect their rights enshrined both in Islam and in the Constitution of Afghanistan.

By Mujeeb Rahman, UNAMA