Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2001-12-13-Speech-4-156"
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"en.20011213.12.4-156"2
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"Even before the rise to power of the Taliban in Afghanistan during 1995-1996 the EU was conscious of the poor position and status of women in Afghan society. This was recognised in the nature of the aid programmes which we financed at that time and which had a strong focus on the provision of health care, education and employment creation for women.
With the arrival in power of the Taliban in Kabul in 1996, the EU agreed a Common Position on Afghanistan. The Common Position is renewed annually and clearly sets out among its objectives the promotion of respect for international law and human rights, including the rights of women and children. In addition, the EU undertakes in the Common Position to support aid programmes which integrate gender concerns and actively attempt to promote the equitable participation of both men and women and promote peace and human rights.
As a result, the Commission, through its ECHO-financed programmes and through its budget for aid to uprooted people, continued, even during the Taliban period, to finance actions which provided health care and education for women and girls and provided employment opportunities and training for women. I met many of these women and men in Kabul last week. It made me start talking about what I call the 'other Afghanistan'. We all know the Afghanistan of the warlords. But there is an alternative Afghanistan. We also have heroes and heroines of peace and compassion. Many of them work in projects that we are funding, did so during the Taliban regime and have continued doing so since September 11.
In an ECHO-funded project for vulnerable children, I met the girls sitting there learning to read and write and asked how many wanted to become housewives when they grew up. Only a few hands were somewhat hesitantly raised. Then I asked how many wanted to become schoolteachers or doctors. Everyone put their hand up – they all wanted to do something. A very nice moment I would say, and their lady teacher was proud.
Another project involved a woman producing quilts which we use for refugee projects. She was alone, her husband had died in the conflict, and when the Taliban came to power, she had to stop working as a crane operator in the construction industry. She has 10 children and her home was being used. They sat on the floor sewing these quilts and that was a very nice experience. At the end, when we left, I could not resist giving her a hug to express my feelings – clearly not politically correct when the neighbours could see or, indeed, at all. But it was well received, and I was quite happy to be part of a civilised and nice meeting of cultures in the centre of Kabul.
Now we are fortunately in the post-Taliban era. Changes are now possible and we hope that what was achieved in Bonn on December 5 will pave the way for a big improvement in the situation of women and girls in the country. Women were included in the delegations in Bonn; women will hold office in the Interim Administration. The Provisional Agreement makes a number of specific references to the guaranteed participation of women in the next phases of the political process – the Loya Jirga and the Transitional Administration. All of this will be overseen by the UN which has a constitutional role, recognised in the Provisional Agreement, to monitor the conduct of the Interim Authority and the emergency Loya Jirga, as well as providing for the development and implementation of a programme of human rights education to promote respect for and understanding of human rights in Afghanistan.
The Commission is currently processing new, additional aid programmes worth EUR 28.5 million, which will start being implemented in the coming weeks, for emergency aid and aid to uprooted people. Gender will, of course, be either a specific or horizontal issue in all of these programmes.
ECHO is already present in Kabul and we will formally inaugurate the ECHO office there in the middle of January. Commission officials plan to start being there permanently from 1 February 2002. It is therefore important to ensure follow-up also in view of what we are discussing here. Progress will provide crucial indicators to allow the EU and the rest of the international community to judge the commitment of the new Afghan administration to the engagement that they now have entered into. I must warn you not to expect miracles. It is a very traditional society, especially outside Kabul. The reality on the ground does not reflect the elite in Kabul that we easily get in touch with. There are many deep-seated differences. We must take a very broad-based approach and make sure that we deliberately include women in the many decentralised activities that we carry out across the country."@en1
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