Zuraida to meet ambassador hoping to empower Afghan women

 

The Embassy of Afghanistan in Kuala Lumpur has invited Zuraida Kamaruddin for a discussion tomorrow morning following the Bersatu MP's concern over the fate of the Afghan people with the return of the Taliban to their country.

The activist-turned-politician said she will propose a proper agency or a ministry on women empowerment to be set up in Afghanistan to assist women and children.

"I will meet with Afghan ambassador Moheb Rahman Spinghar tomorrow morning in my capacity as the president and founder of Council of Malaysian Women Political Leaders (Comwel).

"They invited me for discussion and advice," she told Malaysiakini.

Moheb was appointed the Afghan ambassador to Malaysia under the former Afghanistan regime which was recently toppled by the Taliban.

On Aug 20, Zuraida described the Taliban’s previous rule in Afghanistan before it was overthrown by the US as "extreme and backward" and called for international pressure to ensure that the group, which has regained power, will not return to such policies.

The Ampang MP, who had participated in a humanitarian mission to Afghanistan in 2002, said she had personally witnessed the Taliban’s oppression of Afghan women.

Zuraida said she would be willing to visit Afghanistan to guide the Taliban on women’s rights and empowerment.

“We cannot deny that the Taliban’s governance of Afghanistan 20 years ago was a backward government that rejected development, particularly on the development and empowerment of women and children.

“I saw the condition of women and girls in the country. Women are generally treated as second-class citizens and their rights denied by the (Taliban) government,” she had said.

However, the former minister believes there were “rays of hope” as the Taliban said it will now allow girls to remain in schools.

The Taliban’s policy of preventing girls from getting an education was reversed after it was overthrown in 2001. - Mkini