- Conference
- 2009 National Women's Conference
- Date
- 23 October 2008
- Decision
- Carried
Following the fall of the Taliban government in late 2001 women in Afghanistan have in theory more freedom and equality. In reality, however, the plight they face is much different. Women in Afghanistan still face forced marriage, abuse, the highest maternal mortality rates in the world, and an eighty eight per cent illiteracy rate. Women are still killed by the Taliban for going to work, with several recent high profile assassinations including senior police officer Malalai Kakar and aid worker Gayle Williams.
Conference is outraged by the situation in Afghanistan and calls on the National Women’s Committee to:
1)Invite a speaker to address the 2010 National Women’s Conference on women in Afghanistan.
2)Investigate and where appropriate develop links with the Afghanistan Women’s Network, Womankind Worldwide and the Afghanistan Women’s Educational Centre.
3)Work with the NEC to lobby government ministers about the situation of women in Afghanistan to ensure that their plight is not ignored during reconstruction activities.
4)Highlight the plight of the Afghan women in UNISON publications.
5)Report back to the 2010 National Women’s Conference on progress to date.