Today
is International Women's Day, which is a day we call attention not only
to the achievements of women but to the fight for equality around the
world. The Feminist Majority has been standing shoulder-to-shoulder with
Afghan women and girls in the fight against Taliban oppression for 18
years. Since the fall of the Taliban regime in 2001, many Afghan women
and girls are going to school, have entered the paid workforce, and have
benefited from a significantly reduced maternal mortality rate. But the
Taliban has not gone entirely away and is threatening constantly women
and girls' advancement and security. We must remain shoulder-to-shoulder with Afghan women and girls.
Many
Afghan women leaders as well as ordinary Afghans are saying their
number one concern is security, and they want the remaining U.S. support
troops to stay. We support the Afghan women's groups concerns. This is
no time to leave Afghanistan completely when women and girls are making
progress and the new unity government, pledged to women's empowerment,
is trying to move forward.
President
Obama is right now reviewing his decision to withdraw 5,000 U.S. troops
from Afghanistan by the end of 2015 and ALL troops by the end of 2016.
Afghan women and girls have come too far to be turned back now. If the
Taliban returns, too many of the women who have gone to work and school
and who have taken on leadership in government or in the several hundred
established Afghan women's groups, will be killed. We must stand
shoulder-to-shoulder with these courageous women.
This
International Women's Day, tell President Obama, Secretary Kerry, and
Congress that the U.S. must not abandon Afghan women and girls who need
and want security. Let’s help Afghan women protect the gains they have won.
For women's lives and equality,
Eleanor Smeal
President, Feminist Majority
President, Feminist Majority