CASR  
 —
 Afghanistan
NATO~ISAF

Afghanistan – NATO ~ ISAF  –  2003

Women's Rights  –  Canadian Forces in Afghanistan  –  22 October 2003 Do Canada and the rest of NATO have the power to guarantee Afghan women's rights? Amnesty International   (Introduction to 06 Oct 2003 report) [Ed: Amnesty International is rightly concerned that not enough effort is being made to protect the rights of Afghan women and girls. There is always the possibility that the 'international community' will cut a deal with some of the more cooperative warlords. Everyone is eager to build a new 'nation- state'. But, AI argues that there can be no legitimate, modern nation-state with- out a guarantee of human rights, especially, in this case, the rights of girls and women. Read an edited introduction to their 06 October Report. The full (pdf format) report:  "'Afghanistan:  No- one listens to us and no-one treats us as human beings'. Justice denied to women" is available on the Amnesty website. Warning: some parts of this report are difficult to stomach, so brutalized has Afghan society become after a quarter century of war] "The recovery of Afghanistan must entail the restoration of the rights of Afghan women. Indeed, it will not be possible without them. The rights of the women of Afghanistan will not be negotiable."  Colin Powell, Former US Secretary of  State Read introduction to Amnesty International report