Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan

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Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan
Logo of the Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan
Founder Meena Keshwar Kamal
Type Women's organization
Founded 1977
Area served Afghanistan
Focus Promoting women's rights and secular democracy
Website RAWA website

The Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan (RAWA) (Persian: جمعیت انقلابی زنان افغانستان Jamiyate Enqelâbiye zanâne Afqânestân) is a women's organization in Afghanistan that promotes women's rights and secular democracy. It was founded in Kabul in 1977 by Meena Keshwar Kamal, a student activist who was assassinated in 1987 for her political activities. [1]

The group opposed both the Soviet-supported regime and the later Mujahideen and Taliban Islamist rulers. Since RAWA opposes all forms of religious fundamentalism, it is regarded as a controversial group in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Contents

[edit] Background

The Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan (RAWA) was established in Kabul, Afghanistan, in 1977 as an independent social and political organization of Afghan women fighting for human rights and social justice. RAWA is a non-violent, pro-democratic, secular, anti-fundamentalist feminist organization. Its objective is to involve women of Afghanistan in both social and political activities aimed at acquiring human rights for women and continuing the struggle for a government in Afghanistan based on democratic and secular, not fundamentalist principles, in which women can participate fully. [2] RAWA also strives for multilateral disarmament.

[edit] Founder

RAWA was founded by Meena Keshwar Kamal. At age 21, she laid the foundations of RAWA through her work educating women. Meena also founded RAWA foremost to give voice to the deprived and silenced women of Afghanistan. In 1979, Meena began a campaign against Russian forces and their puppet regime in Afghanistan. In 1981, she launched a bilingual magazine called Payam-e-Zan (Women’s Message). In the same year, she visited France for the French Socialist Party Congress. In her short lifetime, she also established schools for refugee children, hospitals and handicraft centers for refugee women in Pakistan. Her views, as well as her work against the puppet regime, as well as fundamentalists, provoked the wrath of Russians and fundamentalists alike, and on February 4, 1987, Meena was assassinated in Quetta, Pakistan, by agents of KHAD, the Afghan branch of KGB.

[edit] Early activities

RAWA began as an organization to further the education and organization of women, but after Soviet occupation in 1979, RAWA became directly involved with the war of resistance. Since the overthrow of the Soviet puppet regime in 1992, RAWA has focused on the political struggle against fundamentalists, and the Taliban (particularly their anti-woman orientation). RAWA receives no support from NGO’s or other governments, but has had the support of nearly every patriotic pro-democratic Afghan group. RAWA has also been the constant target of terrorist threats, assassinations, libels, and political strangulation. Unfortunately, RAWA continues to lack any formal support from major democratic powers around the world.

Much of their efforts in the 1990s involved holding seminars and press conferences and other fund-raising activities in Pakistan, as well as the creation of secret schools, orphanages, nursing courses, handicraft centers and other things for women and girls in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and the secret filming of women being beaten in the street in Afghanistan by the religious police, [1] (video) and being executed [2] (video). They were unable to have any visible presence in the areas under Taliban or Northern Alliance because their activities were forbidden, and there were several death threats against their members.[3]

[edit] RAWA after 9/11

RAWA was highly critical of the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, emphasizing casualties among the civilian population. [4] The organization went so far as to threaten to sue US authorities for unauthorized use of four photos from their website that were used in propaganda handbills that were dropped on various cities in Afghanistan during the 2001 invasion.[5] After the defeat of the Taliban regime by U.S. and Northern Alliance forces, RAWA warned against the Northern Alliance as being equally fundamentalist and dangerous. They charge that the current government led by President Hamid Karzai has no support in most areas of Afghanistan, and that fundamentalists are enforcing anti-woman laws as they were under the Taliban.[6] These claims are supported by media reports about the Herat government of warlord Ismail Khan, who has created a religious police that forces women to obey strict dress and behavior codes, as well as many reports by Human Rights Watch.

[edit] Current activities

They declare their current activities as the promotion of women's rights under Afghanistan's government, attempting to keep women's issues in the forefront of any permanent government, and expanding educational opportunities for women. They collect funds to support hospitals, schools and orphanages and still run many projects in Pakistan and Afghanistan. For example they are running a project for orphans sponsorship with CharityHelp.org.

Recently RAWA has started its mission inside Afghanistan and organize some of its events in Kabul. They marked the International Women's Day in Kabul on March 8, 2006. [7] [8] which was one of the main functions in Kabul on that day and over 1,200 people attended it.[9]

On September 27, 2006, a RAWA member for the first time (perhaps in the whole history of RAWA) appeared in a round table of a local Afghan TV channel called TOLO TV. She had a debate with a representative of a hard line fundamentalist group. She names the top leaders of the Islamic groups and termed them "war criminal and responsible for the ongoing tragedy in Afghanistan". But Tolo TV censored the audio of any sections where names were called. [10]

On October 7, 2006, the Afghan Women's Mission (AWM) [11] organized a big fund raising event for RAWA in Los Angeles. [12] Eve Ensler was the chief guest and Sonali Kolhatkar and Zoya, a member of RAWA, were among the speakers.

Zoya told in her speech: "By witnessing the crimes and brutalities of the Northern Alliance terrorists, the foot soldiers of the US in Afghanistan in the so-called war against Taliban, even humanity should die for Barbara and all Americans, when they see their government support such misogynist and dark-minded killers and impose them on the Afghan people." Transcript Audio

RAWA event in Kabul on March 8, 2006. Over 1500 people attended it.
RAWA event in Kabul on March 8, 2006. Over 1500 people attended it.

[edit] Achievements

RAWA has so far won 16 awards and certificates from around the world for its work for human rights and democracy, some of the awards include The sixth Asian Human Rights Award - 2001 [13], The French Republic's Liberty, Equality, Fraternity Human Rights Prize, 2000 [14], Emma Humphries Memorial Prize 2001 [15], Glamour Women of the Year 2001 [16], 2001 SAIS-Novartis International Journalism Award from Johns Hopkins University [17], Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition from the U.S. Congress, 2004 [18], Honorary Doctorate from University of Antwerp (Belgium) for outstanding non-academic achievements [19], as well as many other awards.[20]

[edit] What others say about RAWA

In the book With All Our Strength: The Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan' by Anne Broadsky ISBN 0-415-93492-3, a number of world-known writers and human rights activists write their views of RAWA. They include Arundhati Roy who says "Each of us needs a little RAWA", Eve Ensler, author of The Vagina Monologues suggests that RAWA must stand as a model for every group working to end violence, Katha Pollitt, Author of Subject to Debate: Sense and Dissents on Women, Politics, and Culture applaud RAWA for its role. Ahmed Rashid, author of Taliban and Jihad and Asma Jahangir, Special Rapporteur of the UN and prominent women's rights activist of Pakistan are two Pakistanis who write about RAWA and express their support. [21]

[edit] Other Key Achievements

As an organization, the Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan (RAWA) was able to continue to grow and expand after facing direct violence by the Taliban (http://www.rawa.org/28against.htm) and after the assassination of their leader Meena on February 4,1987 by KHAD the Afghanistan branch of KGB in Quetta, Pakistan. RAWA has reached out beyond the borders of Pakistan and Afghanistan, building an international network of support and communication. RAWA has networked with other feminist organizations in Germany, Italy, France, UK, Australia, Spain and have organized international tours and appearances ( http://www.rawa.org/tours.htm). RAWA has won over 18 awards including an honorary degree from University of Antwerp and the Sixth Asian Human Rights Award in 2001 (http://www.rawa.org/awards.htm). Started during the Soviet Occupation to resist war RAWA has published “Payam-e Zan” (Women’s Message) bilingual (Persian/Pashtu) magazine since 1981http://www.rawa.org/payam.htm. Recognizing the power of education, RAWA has primary and secondary schools (sometimes underground) in Afghanistan and Pakistan in which values of peace, religious and gender tolerance are discussed (http://www.rawa.org/policy.htm).


Since April 28, 1992 with the start of Taliban/ Mujahideen rule, RAWA increased its socially supportive activities to meet the increased need within Afghanistan:

Female and Child Victims of War/Violence:

  • Provides psycho-social support
  • Transfers female victims to Pakistan for medical treatment
  • Transfers children of traumatized families to Pakistan for rehabilitation and better chance of education
  • Traces missing females and/or missing family members of females
  • Reports victims of human rights violations to international human rights groups such as Amnesty and publishes victim’s stories in Women’s Message (RAWA’s newsletter)
  • Assists families in evacuation and resettlement; supplies basic living needs and in extreme cases identifies sponsors for “family adoption”
  • Distributes food among needy families in crisis areas

The need for underground and restrictive educational activities was necessary during the Taliban/Mujahideen rule, yet this hasn’t changed much since the invasion in 2001 and the implementation of a democratic government as fundamentalists and warlords maintain oppressive power in villages and the Northern provinces.

Education/Empowerment:
RAWA successfully runs:

  • Home-based schools for girls and boys
  • Literacy courses for illiterate women and young girls
  • Discussion circles with women and young girls, discussing the concept of human rights, the need to fight fundamentalist abuse, the necessity of education, social participation, democracy and civic freedoms, ways solve the “Afghan problem” and the concept of maintaining women’s rights and human rights in Afghanistan

Health-care:
RAWA successfully runs:

  • Mobile Health Teams (MHT) in 8 provinces mainly to treat women with financial difficulties who cannot pay their doctors, the mobile facilities also treat children and occasionally wounded men and on average deliver three newborn infants per day per mobile facility
  • First Aid courses for young girls and literate women run from MTH
  • Polio Vaccination Programs run from MTH since 2005/06


RAWA organizes and finances, supervises and runs self-help projects to generate income for households mostly headed by widows. RAWA also provides micro-credit to assist individual women who want to start their own projects. Self-Help Projects:

  • chicken , bee farms
  • embroidery, handicraft, knitting, sewing, tailoring
  • carpet weaving

[edit] Future plans

RAWA continues to plan for future activities, especially by focusing on education of women and children. Afghanistan has one of the worst literacy rates in the world (UNICEF estimates 3-4 percent for females and 28 percent for males).

Some of their goals are to establish free, up-to-date schools, institutions and courses, and publish and distribute current school material. They plan on establishing libraries in rural areas as well as in cities. RAWA believes that knowledge can be power, and thus can help women become aware of things such as their own human rights. Also, RAWA has plans to set up computer courses for women and girls. They desire to educate with this form of technology. The value and importance of being computer “literate” increases everywhere in the world. Along with the computer courses, RAWA plans to set up English courses for women and girls. Like computer skills, familiarity with the English language can help improve living conditions and connect the women with the world. Next, RAWA plans to establish trades courses whereby women can learn a trade to show their skills, gain independence and contribute to society. Also, RAWA plans to publish periodicals and books for many age groups in the language of their country. Finally, a goal of RAWA is to set up a “Meena Library” (after the founder) in every main city in Afghanistan, providing thousands of books to the public. The group feels obligated to help women and children in particular, by providing the means to increase knowledge and literacy. Besides education, RAWA has focused on healthcare, and plans on continuing to do so. They have strived to provide basic free services to women in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and will try to continue to meet their basic needs. RAWA has established the Malalai Hospital (now in Pakistan) which helps serve some of these needs.

[edit] See also

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Toynbee, Polly. "Behind the burka", The Guardian, September 28, 2001.
  2. ^ "RAWA testimony to the Congressional Human Rights Caucus Briefing", U.S. Congressional Human Rights Caucus, December 18, 2001.

[edit] Further reading

  • Benard, Cheryl. 2002. Veiled Courage: Inside the Afghan Women's Resistance. New York: Broadway Books. ISBN 0-7679-1301-9
  • Brodsky, Anne E. 2003. With All Our Strength: The Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan. New York: Routledge. ISBN 0-415-93492-3
  • Chavis, Melody Ermachild. 2004. Meena, Heroine of Afghanistan : The Martyr Who Founded RAWA, the Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan. New York: St. Martin's Griffin. ISBN 0-312-30690-3
  • Follain, John and Rita Cristofari. 2002. Zoya's Story: An Afghan Woman's Struggle for Freedom. New York: William Morrow. ISBN 0-06-009782-5
  • Sonali Kolhatkar and James Ingalls, 2006. Bleeding Afghanistan: Washington, Warlords, and the Propaganda of Silence. [22]
  • Mulherin, Jeannette E. 2004. The Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan and their Commitment to the Establishment of a Secular Government in Afghanistan. Georgetown University, Washington DC: Masters Thesis


[edit] External Links

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