Following are the texts of remarks by Representative Slaughter and House Resolution 281 from the Congressional Record:

AFGHAN WOMEN'S RESOLUTION
HON. LOUISE McINTOSH SLAUGHTER

Extensions of Remarks
November 07, 2001

HON. LOUISE McINTOSH SLAUGHTER
OF NEW YORK
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Wednesday, November 7, 2001

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce a resolution commending the work of organizations led by Afghan women that are providing substantial education, health and relief services during a time of humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. This resolution also urges the President to ensure that any new government established in Afghanistan include women as full and active participants.

Since 1996, when the Taliban regime took over, the women of Afghanistan have lived in absolute fear. To be a woman in Afghanistan under the Taliban's rule is to be considered little more than chattel. Women are banned from receiving an education, holding a job or engaging in conversations outside the home. They can be arrested for venturing outside their house without a male relative or stoned to death if they are married and accompanied by an unrelated male. The Taliban enforces these draconian decrees in a brutal and capricious fashion that does not begin to resemble due process or a fair judicial system.

Prior to the Taliban's rule, women held careers as doctors, nurses, and teachers. They were free to exercise their rights as citizens, move about, and speak freely. Many of them were considered leaders in their communities, educated, and well-respected. Since 1996, these women have gone into hiding. They are forced to be mere shadows of their former selves.

To women like myself who live in a free democracy, these severe restrictions of movement, speech, and dress are unimaginable. And, without question, the laundry list of blatant human rights violations would not be tolerated against any other population in the world, particularly not in the United States. So how can we, as decent, intelligent people stand by and watch?

Thankfully, a few courageous organizations led by Afghan women are taking action. These organizations are often clandestine in nature and strive to improve the status of women and girls in Afghanistan through underground circles. At this time, it is by their valiant efforts alone that many women and girls in Afghanistan have received an education or health and relief services.

One of the most prominent examples of such an organization is the Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan, or RAWA. Established in 1977, this organization offers relief to the women and girls of Afghanistan by running primary and secondary schools for refugee girls, creating mobile health teams in Pakistan, and running handicrafts, carpet and tailoring workplaces.

Engaging in these modest activities, however, is only one way in which RAWA serves Afghan women. Despite the risk to their own lives, many RAWA activists have also carried video cameras under their burqas to record executions of Afghan women and other similar punishments. In many cases, these videotapes have been the key to exposing the inhuman acts of the Taliban and proving to the Western world that these women need help.

While efforts like RAWA's relieve some of the worst excesses of the Taliban's regime, however, they do not fix the problem. Afghan women will never regain their freedom in the future unless a constitutional democracy is restored in Afghanistan and Afghan women play a leadership role in rebuilding their country.

Fortunately, for the first time since the Taliban regime took over, the U.S. is in a strong position to make this happen and to provide substantial help to Afghan women.

As our government fights to eliminate the Taliban and those who support them in Afghanistan, we must ensure that not only are the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan preserved, but that their full citizenship is restored.

In addition, we must call upon the U.S. government and the United Nations to provide direct funding to these Afghan women's organizations. If provided, this funding would strengthen their ability to deliver services and to enhance their role in fostering a more civil society. Finally, we must urge the Administration to encourage any new government in Afghanistan to include women as leaders.

After five years of enduring the wrath of the Taliban regime, it is time to restore basic human rights to all Afghan people, especially women and girls, and to end these repressive policies. The women of Afghanistan have proven their ability to lead; they simply need the opportunity to exercise it.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of Rep. ROS-LEHTINEN and myself, I am proud to introduce H.Res 281 and urge my colleagues to support it.

(end text of remarks by Representative Slaughter)

(begin text of House Resolution 281)

107th CONGRESS
1st Session

H. RES. 281

Commending and urging increased support for organizations led by Afghan women that are providing substantial education, health, and relief services during a time of humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan and in Afghan refugee areas in neighboring countries, and for the inclusion of women in any new government established in that nation.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

November 7, 2001

Ms. SLAUGHTER (for herself and Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on International Relations

RESOLUTION

Commending and urging increased support for organizations led by Afghan women that are providing substantial education, health, and relief services during a time of humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan and in Afghan refugee areas in neighboring countries, and for the inclusion of women in any new government established in that nation.

Whereas prior to the Taliban control of Afghanistan in 1996, Afghan women exercised their rights as citizens, and were permitted to be educated and employed and to participate fully in all aspects of public life, including government, health care, and education;

Whereas under Taliban control of Afghanistan, women have been banished from the work force and from educational institutions, prohibited from leaving their homes unless accompanied by a close male relative, forced to wear the burqa, a garment which completely shrouds the body, and stripped of their basic human rights;

Whereas non-profit organizations led by Afghan women are providing substantial education, health, and relief services to women and girls living as refugees in Pakistan and Afghanistan;

Whereas these organizations have the capacity to help larger numbers of Afghan women and girls if they are provided with additional resources; and

Whereas the future of a peaceful, stable, and democratic Afghanistan depends upon respect for human rights, particularly the rights of women: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the House of Representatives--

(1) recognizes the grave humanitarian crisis that existed in Afghanistan before the terrorist attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001, and that has since been exacerbated;

(2) commends the heroic work of organizations led by Afghan women that have persevered during this time of crisis to assist very vulnerable Afghan women and their families;

(3) urges the Secretary of State to support, and the United Nations to provide direct and indirect funding to, these organizations in order to strengthen their ability to deliver services during this tragic humanitarian crisis and to enhance their role in fostering a more civil society;

(4) urges the President to direct the international coalition engaged in combating terrorism in Afghanistan to protect women's rights as the coalition attempts to provide humanitarian relief to the people of Afghanistan; and

(5) urges the President to encourage that any new government established in Afghanistan include women as leaders and as full and active participants.


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