DECLARATION OF SOLIDARITY
In solidarity with the Afghan women gathered in Brussels
December 4-5th, women’s rights activists from Belgium, Croatia,
France, India, Italy, Jordan, Morocco, Netherlands, Pakistan,
Palestine, Somalia, Tajikistan, Tunisia, Turkey, United Kingdom and
the United States met in parallel session in Brussels to formulate
support strategies for the implementation of the Brussels
Proclamation issued by the Afghan Women’s Summit. A number of
initiatives were devised by this group, which included activists from
war-torn countries, artists, lawyers, funders and a parliamentarian.
Also working with the group was the Gender Advisor to the UN
Secretary-General and the Executive Director of UNIFEM. The group was
deeply moved and inspired by the clarity and brilliance of the
Brussels Proclamation and the vision of Afghan Women for the future
of their country. In support of this vision, the group made the
following commitments:
- To undertake an advocacy campaign to ensure that the funds
allocated by the international community for the reconstruction of
Afghanistan are conditional on (i) the participation by women in
decision-making over the granting of the funds; (ii) the inclusion
of women’s non-governmental organizations among recipients of
the funds; and (iii) the use of the funds for implementation of
the priorities outlined in the Brussels Proclamation.
- To declare on International Women’s Day 2002 that for
women "Afghanistan is Everywhere", which means that we are joined
in solidarity with the women of Afghanistan not only because we
all identify with their suffering but also because we understand
that the same conditions of violence, oppression, invisibility and
other forms of inequality that plagued Afghanistan are universal.
We will use March 8th to mobilize a worldwide demand for the
implementation of the Brussels Proclamation issued by the Afghan
Women’s Summit.
- To create an international task force of women’s rights
lawyers with particular expertise in drafting legislation and
constitutional law.
- To provide political support to the Ministry of Women created
by the Bonn Agreement, and to undertake efforts to foster voter
education and the participation by women in elections.
- To coordinate a funding effort to support grassroots community
initiatives by and for women in Afghanistan and neighboring
countries, which will make available at least $1 million over the
next three years.
- To promote United Nations recruitment of women for employment
in the various agencies within the UN system operating in
Afghanistan and neighboring countries.