Women's Campaign International » Obama

WCI Program Manager Nasrin Rafiq Speaks out on Women’s Security in Afghanistan

WCI — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 14:44:12 +0000

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?

Obama Establishes The White House Council on Women and Girls

WCI — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 16:21:27 +0000

On Wednesday, March 11, President Obama signed The White House Council on Women and Girls into existence. The council will be headed by Valerie Jarrett and will be comprised of the heads of all Cabinets. This group will meet regularly to ensure that women’s issues are incorporated into all policies, programs and legislation. Obama says that women’s issues are everyone’s responsibility, and that when these issues are not considered, all of society suffers, not just women. Read more about this exciting development here:

http://www.boston.com/news/politics/politicalintelligence/2009/03/obama_creates_w.html .

President Obama Appoints Ambassador for International Women’s Issues

WCI — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 13:48:58 +0000

The new administration has frequently spoken about the importance of women’s participation in political, social and economic sectors. In response to this commitment, two of their recently announced initiatives aim to have a significant impact in engaging more women around the world. Women’s Campaign International welcomes the appointment of Melanne Verveer to the post of ambassador-at-large for international women’s issues. This new post, together with the development of the first U.S. Senate subcommittee dedicated to global women’s issues, provides an important opportunity for our government to begin prioritizing women’s participation and decision-making on critical global issues.

In addition, today the U.S. House of Representatives passed Resolution 194, which demonstrates the US’s support for International Women’s Day and “reaffirms its commitment to ending discrimination and violence against women and girls, to ensuring the safety and welfare of women and girls, and to pursuing policies that guarantee the basic human rights of women and girls both in the United States and in other countries.” Read more about Resolution 194 here: http://www.womenspolicy.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=8925