CALL TO ACTION
Call for Action by the Women on the Road for
Afghanistan
Douchanbe, Tadzhikistan, June 28, 2000
We, a group of 45 people, of whom 43 are women of
various nationalities (Algerian, French, American and Spanish) have
come to Douchanbe on June 27th and 28th 2000, as individuals or
representatives of women's organizations. Women on the Road for
Afghanistan is part of the Worldwide March of Women taking place five
years after the Beijing Conference on Women. Here in Douchanbe, we met
with more than two hundred Afghan refugee women who have fled the war
in Afghanistan. They came to this meeting to give witness to and write
up their "Declaration of the Essential Rights of Afghan
Women".
After hearing the direct testimonies of these
women and taking into consideration the reports made by international
organizations investigating the war in Afghanistan, we hereby state
that we consider the vicious oppression of Women in Afghanistan to be
as serious an issue as the training of terrorists or drug trafficking.
Therefore, WE THE UNDERSIGNED, DENOUNCE: * The
barbaric acts and massive attacks on fundamental rights committed
against the women of Afghanistan by the Taliban regime. * The
suppression of freedom to move about, to work and to access
healthcare. * The attacks on woman's dignity and invasion of private
and family life, attacks that cause irreparable physical and mental
damage and are international crimes against humanity. * The cynical
pretense of the Taliban regime that claims to subscribe to the
international laws protecting the rights of women and men. * The
international drug traffic by the Taliban representing 80% of the
world production of heroin. * The fact that the zones controlled by
the Taliban have become an epicenter generating international
terrorism which has become a threat to democracies. * Pakistan's
active alliance in providing logistics and arms support to the Taliban.
* The "neutrality" of the international communities and
organizations, and world states, which in effect constitutes
complicity with the criminal acts of the Taliban.
WE THE UNDERSIGNED SUPPORT: - The Declaration of
Afghan women that their fundamental rights be respected. - The
resistance of all Afghans to the Taliban regime.
In relation to the above, we, acting as
individuals and representatives of organizations solemnly call upon: -
Democratic nations, - The international community, - International
organizations
1. To publicly support the Afghan Women's
Declaration of Rights written in Douchanbe on June 28th 2000 by the
Afghan women meeting there.
2. To urgently carry out actions that will favor
the establishment of a democratic system in Afghanistan.
For information, contact: Shoukria Haidar, NEGAR
Association, B. P. 10, 25770 Franois, France, tel/fax (from USA):
01133 1 48 350 756
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