Afghanistan needs the women

I went to a meeting in the basement of a downtown church last week where I shook hands with Senator Mobina Jaffer, deputy chair of the Standing Senate Committee on Human Rights, the title of whose recent report was on the training to be done in Afghanistan now that NATO is gradually withdrawing from its combat role in that country. The gist of the report was "Include Women." Senator Jaffer was the speaker at our meeting.

On the front row of the audience (I like front row seats) I found myself sitting next to the Chargé d'Affaires from the Embassy of Afghanistan, Ershad Ahmadi, who gave me his business card.

The meeting was entitled Afghanistan's Future: Count Women In. Here are some of my notes:

(Wikipedia photo)

• there were no sanitary towels in the emergency relief packages sent to a disaster area (recent floods)—male troops need training in "gender sensitivity"
• women soldiers must go
• when consulting the Afghan elders, don't just consult the men
• there are women leaders in the Afghan communities
• women know where the water is (men have been known to negotiate rights to waterways that don't exist any more)
• "Just educate our daughters!"
• it's not about dress (the burqa); it's about the way people are treated
• the Taliban emasculated the men, too
• education, income generation, better healthcare are more important for women than training programmes
• CIDA is a "poor department" and Pearson's expectations are not yet met

Well, there's a Canadian election coming up soon. We were urged to bring up the subject of Afghanistan with our prospective candidates. The more questions they get, the more research they'll have to do, which has to be a good thing. Senator Jaffer has spoken to Canadian soldiers about the needs of Afghan women and they "get it," she said, "they really do," especially the female contingent. But how will the troops be trained in future and how are we going to make sure that it's women who get the training? She has the greatest respect for the rank and file. But what needs to be done has to be led in the right direction. CIDA likewise can only do what Canada's leaders ask it to do. The PM has to set the priorities and the Chief of Defence must take a lead; we need responsible leaders.