Women’s Campaign International’s  Program Manager in Afghanistan, Nasrin Rafiq, comments on recent news articles that have discussed a growing security for women in Afghanistan, specifically an increase in trust toward public authorities. The article below explains that women are slowly gaining security through an increase in women’s shelters as well as an increase in police who are willing to transfer women to these shelters if they are in need.

Nasrin maintains that the Afghan population continues to mistrust police. She claims that the perception persists that the Afghanistan police force is one of the most corrupt in the world. That being said, Nasrin also asserts that there are more shelters being built and that their presence is a great stride forward for Afghanistan.

If, as the New York Times article suggests, there is a interdependent relationship between the increased number of women’s shelters and an increase in trustworthy police officers, how will the Obama administration’s proposal to expand the Afghanistan security force influence women?

The Obama administration seeks to significantly expand the Afghanistan security forces, including both the professional army and national police force. For women in Afghanistan, will this expanded and American-trained security force help protect women who suffer from domestic abuse, or will the high number of trained public authorities prevent women from safely seeking refuge?

Read More on this topic: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/19/us/politics/19military.html?hp