|
WASHINGTON, DC - Rep. Carolyn Maloney (NY-14) successfully attached an amendment to the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations bill today that would ensure that Afghan women and girls receive much needed assistance. The Maloney amendment, offered with Reps. Henry Hyde (IL-06), Tom Lantos (CA-12), and Judy Biggert (IL-13), will direct $60 million of the reconstruction aid for Afghanistan to programs that benefit Afghan women and girls. The amendment further specifies that $5 million will go to the National Human Rights Commission of Afghanistan to combat human rights abuses.
"The women and girls of Afghanistan need our help now," Maloney said. "This is an issue that unfortunately has gone under the radar - most people probably don't know that dozens of girls' schools have been torched and shuttered. Women and girls are being held down in their attempt to gain equality after the Taliban. This amendment will help them to obtain an education and to achieve equal status with men. "For too long, women have been relegated to second-class status in Afghanistan. We must seize this opportunity to create a new future for the women of Afghanistan." Background: Maloney has been fighting for the rights of Afghan women since the oppressive Taliban regime. Earlier this year Afghan women, long-oppressed and neglected, got significant assistance toward gaining equality today when Maloney's (NY-14) amendment to the State Department authorization bill (H.R. 1950) was inserted into the bill. That provision, cosponsored by Rep. Tom Lantos (CA) will set forth guidelines for Afghan women to gain involvement in the rebuilding of Afghanistan - an undertaking that will fundamentally shape the country's future. The measure will establish an Afghan Women's Fund at $22.5 million per year to provide the underserved women of Afghanistan with greater protection and educational, economic and health care opportunities. The amendment stipulates that at least 15 percent of the of the Fund will go to organizations run by Afghans, particularly women. These organizations will be vital in the rebuilding of Afghanistan and will give women a prime position in helping shape the country. Text of the Amendment ### |
