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Women Advocates Oppose Re-Establishment of Afghan Vice and Virtue Department, September 26, 2006

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AdvocacyNet
News Bulletin 78, September 26, 2006
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Kabul and Washington, DC: Women advocates in Afghanistan have criticized a proposal to re-establish the department of vice and virtue, and argued that existing ministries should deal with anti-social behavior.

The criticism was made by 45 members of the Afghan Women’s Network (AWN) at a recent meeting in Kabul. AWN represents the largest women’s advocacy network in Afghanistan and is a partner of The Advocacy Project (AP).

An AWN statement said the recreation of the department would “hinder social development and the freedom of expression, impede the rights of mobility and privacy and, ultimately, stop the continued development of women.”

Under the Taliban, the Department for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice became notorious for meting out harsh punishments for women. Women were beaten for showing too much skin, wearing nail polish or walking alone in public without a male relative.

Under pressure from conservatives, President Hamid Karzai decided to re-establish the department earlier this year. The government says it will perform a valuable social function and promote morality by preventing alcohol, drugs, crime and corruption. Parliament will meet shortly to vote on the proposal.

The AWN meeting was the first public opposition by women to the re-establishment of the department, and the fact that AWN represents more than 3,000 women is an indication of the concern. AWN’s advocacy director said that the mere mention of the department strikes fear into the hearts of women.

The AWN statement argues that existing agencies, such as the Ministry for the Haj and Religious Affairs (MoRA), are already dealing with unethical social behavior and spreading religious education messages. In addition, it says, Imams and other religious scholars and organizations should “take responsibility for the moral and religious education of Afghan society.”

The AWN is also concerned that the re-establishment of this department would increase corruption. Instead of establishing new ministries, it says, the government should focus on eliminating corruption within three agencies – the police, justice and school systems – so that they can enforce the law.

Yet another concern is the lack of transparency behind the proposal. Women and women’s rights groups were left out of the process, and this has also created “suspicion,” according to one AWN official. If the department is reintroduced, AWN wants representatives from women’s rights groups to be involved with the selection of staff.

Meanwhile, AWN members have convened an emergency meeting to discuss the murder on Monday of Safia Amajan, a prominent Afghan women’s advocate who headed the office of women’s affairs in Kandahar.

Erica Isaac, who interned with AWN this summer, helped draft the statement. Ms. Isaac has taken a semester away from her university to serve as AWN’s advocacy director.

• Read AWN’s statement here 
• Visit AWN’s website
• Read Erica’s blog

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