Afghan Women (No. 2)

EDM number 650 in 2001-02, proposed by Joan Ruddock on 14/01/2002.

That this House congratulates Afghanistan's interim administration on taking office and wishes them every success in bringing peace and stability to their country; welcomes the appointment of Dr Sima Samar as Vice Chair of the Administration and Minister for Women an Dr Suhaila Seddiqi as Public Health Minister; supports the proclamation made at the Afghan Women's Summit in Brussels (4th to 6th December 2001) which called for the right for women to vote and to be entitled to equal pay and equal access to health care, education and employment; an emergency plan for reopening schools by March 2002 for both girls and boys, a new curriculum, and training of teachers; the inclusion of Afghan women lawyers in the development of a new constitution which would include the principals of non-discrimination; the rebuilding of hospitals and provision of vital medicines, treatments and services, including psychological counselling; inclusion of women in the Loya Jirga and the protection of women from forced and underage marriages and sexual harassment; and calls upon the Government to ensure that all funds allocated by the international community for the reconstruction of Afghanistan are conditional on the participation by women in decision-making over the granting of the funds, the inclusion of women's non-governmental organisations among recipients of the funds and the use of the funds for implementation of the priorities outlined in the Brussels Proclamation.

This motion has been signed by a total of 62 MPs.