[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 168 (Wednesday, November 19, 2003)]
[House]
[Pages H11529-H11533]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
COMMENDING AFGHAN WOMEN FOR THEIR PARTICIPATION IN AFGHAN GOVERNMENT
AND CIVIL SOCIETY
Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree
to the resolution (H. Res. 393) commending Afghan women for their
participation in Afghan government and civil society, encouraging the
inclusion of Afghan women in the political and economic life of
Afghanistan, and advocating the protection of Afghan women's human
rights in the Afghanistan Constitution, as amended.
The Clerk read as follows:
H. Res. 393
Whereas the women of Afghanistan suffered horrible
tragedies under the Taliban regime;
Whereas the Afghan people have rejected the Taliban and are
in the process of building a free and democratic republic and
repairing the damage inflicted upon Afghan society by the
Taliban;
Whereas those efforts have improved the daily lives of
Afghan women, children, and refugees;
Whereas more Afghan girls are attending school than ever
before in the history of Afghanistan and, in addition, many
millions more adult women are either returning to school to
make up for the time they were not allowed to attend school
during the Taliban regime or taking vocational training
classes to prepare for the job market;
Whereas women in Afghanistan now are able to work outside
the home and hold positions in all levels of government and
in private sector organizations, as they did before the
Taliban regime;
Whereas the reconstruction of Afghanistan and the writing
of the Afghanistan Constitution provide a unique opportunity
to continue this success and to affirm women's human rights
under the law;
Whereas, in order for women to fully participate in Afghan
society, they must have the right to vote, the right to run
for office, equality of opportunity, and access to health
care, education, and employment;
Whereas women's human rights must be guaranteed in the
Afghanistan Constitution; and
Whereas the United States, through its diplomatic
activities, is actively involved in encouraging the full
inclusion and participation of Afghan women in the political
and economic life of their country, and must continue to do
so throughout the reconstruction process: Now, therefore, be
it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) commends the participation of Afghan women in
Afghanistan's government and civil society;
(2) proclaims its ongoing commitment to encouraging the
full inclusion of women, and indeed all members of Afghan
society, in the political and economic life of their country;
and
(3) advocates the protection of the human rights of all
Afghans, particularly women, in the Afghanistan Constitution.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from
Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen) and the gentleman from California (Mr.
Lantos) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen).
General Leave
Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all
Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks
and include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from Florida?
There was no objection.
Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
In 1996, a heavy shroud was placed on the people of Afghanistan when
the Taliban captured Kabul. But the Taliban's brutality and blatant
disregard for the lives and the well-being
[[Page H11530]]
of the Afghan people was perhaps most clearly evident among half of its
population, the women of Afghanistan. They had been made destitute,
sick and marginalized. They were banned from receiving any education
past the age of 8. They were denied proper medical treatment.
Throughout, the strong will and courage of the Afghan women helped them
endure these most deplorable of circumstances.
Today, the Afghan people are free. Women are enjoying freedoms and
opportunities previously denied to them under the Taliban. The new
Afghan Ministry of Education estimates that over 5 million children are
in school, and 42 percent of these are girls. A Ministry of Women's
Affairs has been created for the sole purpose of advocating for the
rights of women and ensuring their access to, and participation in, all
sectors of Afghan society. The current head of the Human Rights
Commission is an Afghan woman, Dr. Sima Simar. Afghan women are playing
an active role in the political and economic reconstruction of their
nation, including as members of the commission responsible for the
drafting of the Afghan Constitution. Their contributions can already be
seen in this draft document. Articles 44, 83 and 84 of the Constitution
mandate the promotion of women's education and the elimination of
illiteracy while also establishing requirements that seek to ensure
female representation throughout the government. After suffering
unspeakable oppression, persecution and violations of their most basic
freedoms, the women of Afghanistan, as the women's minister recently
stated, ``can have our position in the society, and our people in
Afghanistan can be under one Constitution.''
All of these developments, Mr. Speaker, as the International Crisis
Group has described it, ``heralded a new day for women in
Afghanistan.'' However, this would not have been possible without the
support of the international community and, in particular, the
unwavering commitment of our United States. One of the many ways in
which we have demonstrated our commitment to the full participation of
women in Afghanistan's political and economic reconstruction has been
through programs such as the U.S. Agency for International Development,
AID, and its contribution of $2.5 million for the creation of women's
resource centers in various provinces throughout Afghanistan.
The resolution before us details the developments that have taken
place since the end of the Taliban regime and the progress made in
improving the daily lives of Afghan women. Further, it notes the
efforts of the United States in encouraging the full inclusion and
participation of Afghan women in the political and economic arena and
proclaims our ongoing commitment on this front. House Resolution 393 is
a straightforward resolution that commends the participation of Afghan
women in civil society and underscores the will of the U.S. House of
Representatives that the protection of the human rights of all Afghans,
particularly women, be protected in the constitution of Afghanistan.
I ask my colleagues to support this measure.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I rise in strong support of this resolution. First I would like to
thank the gentlewoman from Illinois (Mrs. Biggert), the gentlewoman
from New York (Mrs. Maloney) and the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros-
Lehtinen) for their important contribution in bringing this issue to
our attention.
Mr. Speaker, Afghanistan is entering a crucial phase in its efforts
to leave behind the legacy of two decades of nightmare, civil war,
narco-terrorism, the Taliban, and the appalling abuse of women and
girls. Over the coming year, the Afghans will be approving a new
constitution and a new Afghan government hopes to hold free and fair
elections. These acts will determine Afghanistan's course for decades
to come.
The role of women and girls in this process remains, unfortunately,
unclear. After suffering for so long under the brutal Taliban regime,
Afghan women are finally participating in Afghan society, including the
political process in that country. But despite progress being made, the
threat still remains that Afghan women will once again become the
subject of both discrimination and violence. Indeed, Mr. Speaker,
girls' education is coming increasingly under attack, with the burning
of schools dedicated for that purpose. And there are disturbing reports
of abuses of women's rights by local warlords in spite of the efforts
of the Afghan transitional authority to protect them.
Our resolution commends the participation of Afghan women in the
government of Afghanistan and in civil society, and it encourages the
full inclusion of women in all sectors of Afghan society, particularly
the political, economic and educational sectors. As the key decisions
on the Afghan Constitution draw near, the United States and the
international community must continue to press the Afghan government to
allow the full inclusion of women in Afghan society at all levels and
to provide for the full protection of women's human rights in the
Constitution of Afghanistan.
I urge all of my colleagues to support H. Res. 393.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman
from Illinois (Mrs. Biggert), the sponsor of the resolution.
Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me
this time and for her very helpful input on this resolution. Her
commitment to protecting human rights is well-known, and I am honored
to work with her to support the women of Afghanistan.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this very important
resolution. I am honored to sponsor it and I thank the gentlewoman from
New York (Mrs. Maloney) for introducing it with me. I also want to
thank my neighbor, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hyde) along with
the gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos) and the staff on the
Committee on International Relations for helping to bring this
resolution to the floor.
Frankly, it is no secret that Afghan women had a very, very hard time
under Taliban rule. Women were frequently beaten, raped, kidnapped and
killed. They had no access to education or health care. For 5 years,
they were told that the only place for them was at home with their
husbands or in the grave. Women were systematically and routinely
singled out for abuse simply because they were women. In short, they
lived in nightmarish conditions that few of us could even imagine.
Two years after the fall of the Taliban, the women of Afghanistan are
making tremendous progress in reclaiming their rightful place in
society. Women are returning to positions they held in pre-Taliban
times, working as doctors, lawyers, teachers, civil servants and in
numerous other professions. Most girls are attending school, which was
not true ever before in the history of this country. They are no longer
forced to wear the burdensome burqa, although many of them do, and
hopefully they are no longer living in fear of being brutalized simply
because they are female.
These women have overcome unimaginable obstacles and they deserve our
ongoing support as they work to build a new democracy. I have been
involved in several meetings here in the United States and a video
conference with women leaders in Afghanistan through the U.S.-Afghan
Women's Council. It is encouraging to see that the country is
transforming itself into a democracy and the Afghan women are
participating, working towards elections, and some of these women will
be candidates. All of this is good news, but there is still so much
more that must be accomplished.
As part of the rebuilding process, the people of Afghanistan are
drafting a constitution that will define the principles of their new
democratic government. Under the Bonn agreement, the final draft will
be finished in a few short months. As the drafters continue the hard
work of crafting that important document, we must continue to encourage
the inclusion of women and the protection of their most basic rights.
The creation of a permanent Afghan government marks an important
[[Page H11531]]
transition in the history of that country. It also provides a unique
opportunity to commend the women of Afghanistan for overcoming the
monumental challenges they have faced and to reiterate the U.S.
commitment to protecting the human rights of all. This is what the
resolution does.
The United States has a vested interest in promoting a democratic
regime in Afghanistan. As President Bush put it, women will be the
backbone of a new Afghanistan. It is critical, therefore, that women be
assured of their right to participate in the civic life of their
country. It is encouraging to note that women have been involved in the
drafting of the constitution. However, in order for women to continue
participating in public life, this right must be protected.
I am pleased that the U.S. has taken such an active role in aiding
the women of Afghanistan. In the last Congress, we passed and the
President signed into law the Afghan Women and Children's Relief Act.
This much-needed legislation provided educational and health care
assistance for women and children living in Afghanistan and as refugees
in neighboring countries. This was an important first step that
provided immediate assistance. Now, however, it is time to look beyond
the short term and provide long-term assurance that the women of
Afghanistan will never again be targeted for abuse by their government
and forced to live under such horrific conditions.
Mr. Speaker, this is an important and timely resolution. In order to
promote true democracy in Afghanistan, we must do all we can to
encourage the inclusion of women in the civic life of their country. I
am honored to support this resolution, and I encourage my colleagues to
do so as well.
Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to yield 4 minutes to the
gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Maloney) who has been an indefatigable
fighter for all human rights issues and without whom we would not be
considering this resolution.
{time} 1145
Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this
time and acknowledge the tremendous role that he and the gentleman from
Illinois (Mr. Hyde) had in the passage of this resolution.
I rise in strong support of this resolution which commends Afghan
women and supports their participation in government and the inclusion
of women's rights in the Afghan constitution. The gentlewoman from
Illinois (Mrs. Biggert), my good friend, and I co-authored this
resolution to acknowledge the struggles that Afghan women have faced
and to show the support of this Congress for winning the battles that
remain.
Women under the Taliban were denied their basic rights to work,
education, and health care; and they suffered greatly over the course
of 23 years of war. The end of the Taliban regime, appointment of women
to the cabinet, and the establishment of the Ministry of Women's
Affairs and the participation of over 200 women delegates in the June,
2002, Loya Jirga gave women hope. Yet many women continue to wear the
burka out of fear of attack from fundamentalist extremists, and there
are extremely disturbing reports of discrimination and the burning of
over 30 girls' schools.
Earlier this Congress showed their support not only in words but with
financial support. Our amendment to the fiscal year 2004 emergency
supplemental appropriations legislation directed $5 million to the
Independent Human Rights Commission in Afghanistan and $60 million in
direct funding for the Ministry of Women's Affairs and Afghan women-led
governmental organizations which is necessary to build permanent
institutions to safeguard women's rights in Afghanistan.
For women to advance in Afghanistan, they must have equal rights
under the law, they must have the right to vote and the right to run
for office and the equality of opportunity and access to health care,
education, and employment. These rights will not be possible in
Afghanistan without their inclusion in the constitution and without the
ability of delegates to the December Loya Jirga to speak out for
women's rights and human rights without fear of reprisal.
I deeply thank this Congress and the leadership of this Congress for
being committed to helping the women in Afghanistan, for their support
of the passage of this important resolution, and their earlier support
for direct appropriations to help the women in Afghanistan. I
particularly thank the leadership of the gentleman from California (Mr.
Lantos), the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hyde), and the gentlewoman
from Illinois (Mrs. Biggert).
Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the distinguished
gentleman from California (Mr. Rohrabacher), a staunch defender of
human rights worldwide.
Mr. ROHRABACHER. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this
resolution and commend those who were involved with bringing it to the
floor today.
About 5 months ago, I traveled across Afghanistan. Just actually my
wife and I decided to travel by car, and we were told that it was
rather risky and that it was a precarious situation; but we wanted to
see exactly what was happening on the scene, and I would like to report
a little incident that happened.
As we were traveling between Kabul and Mazar Sharif, we saw the
devastation throughout the countryside, burned-out Russian tanks and
buildings that had been destroyed. We noticed some young people,
hundreds of people, gathered at this old building that seemed like a
bombed-out relic from World War II; and we had our driver stop, and we
walked over and we had an interpreter with us. And there we found, I
guess, about 100 young Afghan children all about 8, 9, 10 years old,
sitting in this burned-out building where they had piled rocks together
and formed little desks, trying to teach each other how to read and to
write. There was never a symbol of a people who were more committed to
moving ahead and to bringing themselves out of the ashes of this
horrible catastrophe that has befallen their country for these last 25
years than these young children; and what was most important is they
were not just a bunch of boys. There were young boys and young girls
who were there being taught to read and to write and to improve
themselves and thus bring up their country, and it was one of the most
inspiring sights I had seen.
The United States has a special burden here in Afghanistan. We turned
away from the Afghans before, and it led to another era of crises after
the Soviets left; and let me just note that I am afraid to offer this
to my colleagues: I think we need to pay more attention to Afghanistan.
This resolution is an important step, but we need to pay more
attention. Things are sliding back in the wrong direction if we do not
pay attention.
And I think we have a message today to the people of Afghanistan, and
that is democracy is sometimes slow to move, but we are committed to
helping them rebuild their country and to build those institutions that
provide for human dignity. We respect their religion, we respect their
faith, but we also know that the persecution of women is not required
by Islam, that this Taliban extremism and Islamic extremism that we see
in various parts of the world does not reflect the broad cross-section
of Muslims who would grant women their rights and have little children
who happen to be girls educated and treated equally and with due
respect. But today we have to work with the Afghan people to make sure
that the Taliban does not come back, and that threat still exists. And
to the people of Afghanistan we say today do not give in to these evil
people again. The Americans have not left. We will not leave until they
are secure from the return of the Taliban and al Qaeda and the
terrorists that held them in bondage.
Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I want to commend my friend from California
for his powerful statement.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentlewoman from
California (Ms. Lofgren).
(Ms. LOFGREN asked and was given permission to revise and extend her
remarks.)
Ms. LOFGREN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support this resolution,
but I must note that it is not enough. We need to make every effort to
assist the women of Afghanistan to become full and participating
members of society as so many women there wish.
[[Page H11532]]
Inside the Beltway it may seem that we are doing enough, but we have
continually appropriated money to help Afghan women and children, 5
million in 2003, 25 million in 2004, 60 million in the recent
supplemental appropriations bill. But unfortunately the money is not
necessarily getting to the women themselves, and Members of Congress
have written to our President about that, but we have not actually made
the difference that we would want.
Last week when I returned to my district, I met an Afghan women's
advocate, Afifa Azim, who was full of hope but has been let down by
this administration. She had come all the way to America to search for
support from private organizations in California. Imagine, she had to
travel here to find private help when we have appropriated millions of
dollars for women's programs and the President has told us he is
committed to administering the money in the best possible way. Other
Afghan women advocates are telling me the same.
The problem is not that the women of Afghanistan are not full of
hope, nor is the problem with Congress who has appropriated funds. The
problem is that the administration has not tracked the resources to
make sure that they get to the Afghan women who need these funds; and I
would like to read from the San Francisco Chronicle a story about Ms.
Azim. She said, ``What's most unfortunate is that in the beginning, the
international community was promising to first help the women, but that
has not happened. For almost 2 years, they were promising to open
women's centers in different provinces, but it hasn't happened, all
because of a lack of resources, not desire.''
If the President is serious about winning the war on terror, he must
not forget that a great key to our success lies in the women of
Afghanistan. I support this resolution, but I would be happier if we
were actually directing the President to send the resources necessary
to the women of Afghanistan. And I include in the Record the article
from the San Francisco Chronicle about Ms. Azim's visit.
[From the San Francisco Chronicle, Nov. 17, 2003]
Afghan Woman Soldier on Bay Area Visit To Raise Support for Freedoms
Not Yet Realized
(By Anastasia Hendrix)
Standing just 5 feet tall, even in heels, Afifa Azim may
appear diminutive but her ambition to improve the lives of
women in Afghanistan is enormous, and she is visiting the Bay
Area to get some help.
Though the world's attention has shifted to the conflict in
Iraq and the repressive Taliban regime has been chased out of
Afghanistan, women there have not been able to enjoy the
freedoms they had decades ago, she said.
``Most of the women outside of Kabul, in the villages, are
still oppressed, still wearing burkas and still are afraid,''
she said. ``I am saying please be patient and pay attention
to Afghanistan. We still desperately need it.''
Azim is the director of the Afghan Women's Network, an
umbrella organization comprised of 65 nonprofit,
nongovernmental groups designed to support, train and employ
women.
Born in Kabul, the 49-year-old mother of two daughters and
three sons oversees the agency's headquarters in Peshawar,
Pakistan, as well as two offices in Afghanistan. The agency
has yet to get a working fax machine, she said, but has
received grants for several computers.
She is meeting with native Afghans and women's rights
advocates as part of a program developed by the San
Francisco-based Women's Intercultural Network (WIN), which
strives to create a network of women's organizations around
the world for ``collective action on mutual concerns.''
``A lot of people are going into Afghanistan now doing
refugee work, doing work on housing, food and infrastructure,
but nobody's really working directly with the women to build
the capacity of their organizations,'' said Marilyn Fowler,
president and chief executive officer of the network. ``It's
not just about money, but also the training and technology
that is so badly needed.''
Azim is one of nine women on a committee participating in
the drafting of Afghanistan's new constitution, which will be
important to legally protect women's rights, she said.
It is a more daunting task than it may seem, said Rona
Popal, executive director of the Fremont-based Afghan Women
Association International, who recently returned form a
trip to Kabul.
``For example, the Ministry of Women's Affairs is one of
the poorest ministries (in the Afghan government). Many
programs have been closed, and a lot of women have had to be
laid off,'' she said. ``What's most unfortunate is that in
the beginning, the international community was promising to
first help the women, but that had not happened. For almost
two years they were promising to open women's centers in
different provinces, but it hasn't happened--all because of a
lack of resources, not desire.''
If anyone is up to the challenge of fighting for the
emerging women's rights movement in Afghanistan, it is Azim,
said Irene Lu, a senior at Standford University who spent six
months this year working for the Afghan Women's Network in
Kabul.
``It's amazing how much she really loves her country. She
works day and night thinking of specific projects,'' Lu
said,` `She's often at the office until1 1 or 12 at night,
and she even came to the office at 3 a.m. to talk to me about
one of the projects we were working on.''
With Azim, Lu created a national directory of nonprofit
women's groups in and around Afghanistan, surveyed women in
refugee camps and created a paid internship program for
female students at Kabul University.
Azim said there are setbacks and times of sadness and
frustration, but that she relies on the strength of other
women's rights advocates for motivation and her family for
inspiration.
Her three sons, ages 18, 19, and 20, all volunteer for her
organization. Her daughters, ages 8 and 22, are constant
reminder of her goals, she said.
``I want them to have a bright future, to be able to have a
good and happy life,'' she said.
Her husband, Azim, is also supportive of her efforts, it
not necessarily her frequent trips to Kabul, she said. The
family fled Afghanistan in 1985 but plans to move back by new
year, she said.
Today, Azim is headed back to Pakistan. She said she will
travel and work as much as necessary to broaden awareness
about the struggles still facing Afghan women.
``We know that American women are strong and have the power
to do something to help our women, even if the government
can't or won't'' she said. ``Of this, I am confident.''.
Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman
from California (Mr. Royce), a strong leader in our Committee on
International Relations.
Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me this
time.
Mr. Speaker, I support this bill commending the participation of
Afghan women in that society. But let me share with the Members that I
had an opportunity to travel in Afghanistan, and there is a small
orphanage that I have supported. I have been a board member for a
number of years on this particular board for this school that attempts
to teach orphans in Afghanistan. And I wanted to see about the work
that they were conducting. So when I was there, I actually had an
opportunity to talk not only to the students, several of whom spoke
English, but also with the teachers.
One of the teachers showed me, by the way, the scars on his legs and
arms. He was caught by the former regime. He was not teaching jihad. He
was teaching mathematics. He was teaching science. And that was
considered verboten. That was forbidden by that government. And as a
consequence, he was tortured for that. But the school continued its
work clandestinely, and today that work continues. And I asked the
young students there what they intended to be when they grew up, and we
got different answers from different students. But one young woman
stood up and she said, ``When I grow up, I want to go to the University
of Kabul because I am going to be a physician.''
And I asked her, ``Why do you want to become a doctor?''
She said, ``I want to become a doctor because I want to help my
people.''
We forget that two thirds of the physicians in Afghanistan before the
Taliban, two thirds of physicians, were women. But, in fact, when that
society was hijacked by the Taliban and that brutal regime began the
process of excluding women not only from education but from the
workforce and from riding a bus or from visiting a doctor, we forget
just how brutal that regime was.
I have got a great deal of respect for what the new government is
trying to do. The new Afghan government has established a Ministry of
Women's Affairs dedicated to improving women's rights, but in the
meantime the reality continues, that at the hands of regional warlords
and brigands and religious fanatics, women are still beaten and they
are still raped and they are still abducted.
However, as this is happening, women are playing a role in the
political reconstruction of Afghanistan. Seven women are members of the
constitutional drafting commission. That is 20 percent of the
commission. Under the released draft constitution, Afghanistan's
president can nominate
[[Page H11533]]
women to hold up to 50 percent of the seats of the upper house of
parliament.
For the first time in years, Afghans are hearing the voice of women
on the air because the broadcasts of Radio Free Afghanistan air
commentary from both the women in the Afghan ministries and the men and
women that are interviewed on the streets, in the towns. And it is
important to remember again that before 1978 women were very
influential in this society. Not only were they two-thirds of teachers,
as I mentioned, but they played a role throughout the society,
throughout the workforce, and they must play a vital role in helping
Afghanistan become a stable state.
There is so much work to be done, and there is so much more attention
that we as a Congress, not just the administration, but we as a
Congress need to pay to this problem.
But Afghanistan has made tremendous strides, at least in Kabul, in
the liberation from the Taliban; and we have to remember that the
Taliban is still rooted in parts of that country. And I ask my
colleagues to support this resolution and to continue to focus in their
own time and in their own ways on ideas of how we can expand some
measure of progress beyond the capital into the regional areas of
Afghanistan.
Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
I want to thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos), my good
friend. It is always a real honor and a pleasure to work with him. He
is a man of integrity, great intelligence, and I consider him one of my
mentors. It is always a pleasure to handle a bill on the floor with
him.
{time} 1200
Mr. Speaker, in closing, I would merely like to underscore the stark
contrast between the Afghanistan that we had under the Taliban and the
free Afghanistan that today is working to rebuild from the ruins of
over 20 years of war and oppression. But all is not perfect, as we
heard from many speakers here today. The road ahead will not be an easy
task, but nothing that is worth doing and having usually comes easy.
The Afghan people and especially the women of Afghanistan need our
support. They need our steadfast commitment to stay with them, to
remain engaged for the long haul. This resolution before us reiterates
that commitment, a commitment that was articulated by President Bush
just this morning, and I ask my colleagues to support the resolution of
the gentlewoman from Illinois (Mrs. Biggert) and the gentlewoman from
New York (Mrs. Maloney).
Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong
support of the resolution commending Afghan women for their
participation in the Afghan government. Overcoming a history of
suppression under Taliban rule, the women of Afghanistan have worked to
strengthen women's rights in Afghanistan's new democracy.
Prior to Taliban rule, Afghanistan had a Constitutional democracy
that affirmed women's rights, including the right to vote and equal pay
provisions. However, under control of the Taliban, women were silenced
and denied basic-fundamental rights to healthcare, education and
employment. Today, Afghan women have emerged to help build a brighter
and more stable future for Afghanistan.
Afghan women are more involved than ever in the Afghanistan
government. Currently, there are two women holding high-ranking
positions in Afghanistan's transitional government. Additionally, on
September 5, 2003, the third annual conference of Women for Afghan
Women (WAW) met in Kandahar to draft an Afghan Women's Bill of Rights
to present to President Hamid Karzai. These rights include mandatory
education for all women, protection and security from gender abuse,
freedom to vote and the ability to run for all elections.
Afghanistan is at a crucial transition point and it is imperative
that the United States continue its support in promoting democracy and
equality for both men and women of Afghanistan. I urge all of my fellow
Members to vote with me in support of H. Res. 393 and commend the women
of Afghanistan for their contributions and involvement in the Afghan
government.
Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time,
and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Shaw). The question is on the motion
offered by the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen) that the
House suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 393, as
amended.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds of
those present have voted in the affirmative.
Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be
postponed.
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