http://worldcat.org/entity/work/id/364717734

"We have the promises of the world" women's rights in Afghanistan

"In March 2009, the Afghan President approved the Taliban-style Shia personal Status law which imposes discriminatory and abusive regulations restricting the basic rights of many women. Its adoption provided a timely reminder of how vulnerable Afghan women are to political deals and broken promises. With fundamentalist factions in government gathering strength, the insurgency gaining ground, and some form of reconciliation with Taliban factions firmly on the horizon, the gains made by Afghan women and girls are under serious threat. Commitments about women's rights made when the Taliban were defeated in 2001 and since have not been kept--by the Afghan government or its international backers. 'We Have the Promises of the World' identifies some of the most pressing problems faced by Afghan women and girls today: attacks on women in public life, violence against women, child and forced marriage, access to justice, and girls' access to secondary education. The report documents how high profile women have been assassinated and their murderers not brought to justice. Victims of rape are still punished for adultery, while rapists receive presidential pardons. Young girls are locked up for running away from domestic violence, in contravention of national laws. Child and forced marriage remain common, with devastating effects for the girls and women involved. Only 11 percent of girls reach secondary school. The picture is bleak. But it is not too late to make progress. One hopeful sign is the determination and courage of Afghan women, many of whom are becoming a force to be reckoned with, as their fight against the Shia law and their successful push for a new law on violence against women have demonstrated. But they need political, financial, and moral support from moderate and progressive Afghan leaders. And they need the commitments of the international community to be turned into action. Promises alone will not protect their rights."--Page [4] of PDF cover.

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