Canada raises alarm over law threatening women’s rights
OTTAWA — Canada is sounding the alarm about a proposed law in Afghanistan, amid signs the clock is already being turned back on hard-fought rights for Afghan women and girls.
The law, which has been passed by the Afghan parliament and is now awaiting President Hamid Karzai’s signature, would prohibit authorities from questioning the relatives of a criminal suspect.
This would effectively silence victims and undermine investigations into cases of sexual and domestic violence in a country rife with “honour killings” and forced marriages.
Canada was the first country to speak out this week, with Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Lynne Yelich voicing the government’s strong opposition to the law following a trip to Afghanistan.
The Conservative government has also instructed Canadian diplomats in Kabul to enlist counterparts from other countries to stop the legislation from being adopted.
Human Rights Watch researcher Heather Barr, whose organization uncovered the proposed law, praised Canada’s leadership in trying to raise concerns and rally opposition.
On Friday, British Foreign Secretary William Hague tweeted his concern and said his country’s ambassador was “urgently” raising the matter with Afghan authorities.
Yet human rights groups say international silence has become the norm as women’s rights in Afghanistan have been rolled back over the past year, a concern privately echoed by Canadian officials.
The setbacks include attacks by Afghan parliamentarians on the country’s landmark Law on Elimination of Violence Against Women.