The Society for Peace and Conflict Resolution held a forum titled "Reconstruction and Security: Roles and Challenges for Afghan Woman" on Thursday, Oct. 16. The forum was held in the School of International Service Lounge and highlighted the human rights abuses that women in Afghanistan are faced with and the role the United States needs to play in improving our policies on human rights.
"Out of the frying pan of the Taliban into the fire of the Northern Alliance," said Alicia Lucksted, who has been involved with the Revolutionary Association for Women in Afghanistan (RAWA) for over four years.
According to Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, women in Afghanistan are jailed for fleeing domestic violence, being raped and refusing to accept arranged marriages. The bartering of women continues to settle local land disputes. The United States supports the reform of the judiciary system but has done very little to protect the rights of women whose human rights are violated.
"Every time I go things are worse than before," Fahima Vorgotts, director of the Afghan Woman's Fund, said. "There is not a lot of reconstruction being done."
Vorgotts frequently travels to Afghanistan to work on women's rights and education. She co-founded the Humanitarian Organization for Orphans and Widows of Afghanistan.
"The impact of this forum was significant," said Igor Naumovski, a grad student in SIS and the vice president of SPCR. "The panelist discussed an important topic that is not covered by the media. These women brought the issues and challenges facing women in Afghanistan, and people around the world to the forefront by talking about them."
Suggestions were made on how to improve the situation in Afghanistan.
"The United States must end the practice of over promise and under delivery often taken in reconstruction," said Zaniab Sailbi, founder and president of Women for Women International. "The current policy has resulted in a lot of unfulfilled expectations."
The non-profit organization works to improve the lives of female survivors of war and other conflicts. The organization helps the women overcome poverty and crisis to lead self-sufficient lives.
Salibi said in order for the role of women in post-conflict situations to improve, women need to be elected to more powerful roles in the new political systems.
"The gender issue is not for the sake of women but really about creating substantial societies," Salibi said.
The Society for International Peace and Conflict Resolution holds forums every Thursday at 4:30 in the SIS lounge.
"The idea behind the Thursday forum is to bring together the [International Peace and Conflict Resolution] community and approach the field in a pragmatic and analytical way," said Sahardid Kassim, a second year graduate student and president of SPCR.
The panelist urged students to work towards peace by doing something to stop the human rights abuses in Afghanistan and other post conflict societies.
"If we do not liberate people from human rights abuses and work for peace in Afghanistan we will not have peace in this country," Vorgotts said.
According to Kassim, the forums are on a wide range of topics from conflict and post conflict evaluation, human rights, reconciliation and reconstruction and other issues such as pre-conflict analysis and post conflict examination.
