KABUL, 1 April 2005 — The Afghan government will launch a nationwide campaign to promote women rights in the war-shattered country, officials said yesterday.
The campaign, in coordination with non-governmental organizations, will address issues like violence against women, girls education and health care, senior Women Ministry official Nasreen Haqnigar told AFP.
The drive is expected to start in about a week, she said adding that the program includes meetings and seminars across the country.
UN spokeswoman in Kabul, Ariane Quentier, said some 100 NGOs working in Afghanistan would hold a meeting with the women’s ministry on Sunday to finalise the program.
“The consultation aims to brief the NGO community on the Ministry of Women Affairs’ efforts to develop a national action plan for the women in Afghanistan,” she added.
Conditions for women remain tough in Afghanistan three years after the fall of the Taleban who had deprived women from attending school or working outside their walled-houses.
A human rights group earlier this month urged Afghanistan to tackle the rampant abuse of power by warlords and militias who are allegedly involved in the rape of women and children.
Meanwhile, Afghan President Hamid Karzai yesterday launched the construction of a major road to linking the southern city of Kandahar with western city of Herat on the Iranian border.
The 557-kilometer long road will cut the travel time between the two cities from more than 12 hours now to about five and half hours.
“We are starting a very important part of the reconstruction of our country, which is the reconstruction of the roads,” said Karzai.
The project, funded by Saudi Arabia, Japan and the United States, is estimated to cost $250 million.
Afghan Public Works Minister Dr. Sohrab Ali Safari said the first 116-kilometer stretch of the road would be undertaken by the Japanese and the second 115-kilometer portion would be constructed by Saudi Arabia.
The remaining 326 kilometers road would be a task for the United States, he said.
“This construction will ease the transportation of goods inside the country and to the neighboring countries of Iran, Turkmenistan and Pakistan,” said Safari.
US Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad, who also attended the ceremony with Karzai, said the construction of the road was important not only for Afghanistan but for the region.
“Rebuilding of Afghanistan’s roads is important for the region beyond Afghanistan,” Khalilzad said.
