Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 2010 And 2011

Floor Speech

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Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. I rise in strong support of the amendment offered by Congresswoman Gwen Moore and really applaud her for that and for her passionate remarks on behalf of this amendment.

In the 8 years since the overthrow of the Taliban, women in Afghanistan have made major strides forward. Ninety-one of Afghanistan's 351 parliamentarians are women, and two women have announced their intention to run for President this year.

However, many women in Afghanistan continue to fight for basic human rights. Violence against women, rape and forced marriages continue in the country's most unstable regions. In April we saw images of stones being thrown at a woman protesting a law legalizing marital rape.

Afghanistan's future will depend on its women building more stable and healthy and thriving communities. The women of Afghanistan have borne the brunt of years of warfare, but they will also form the underpinning of a peaceful Afghanistan.

This amendment recognizes that limiting the rights of women is counterproductive to all of our efforts to help Afghanistan move forward from the devastating damage of Taliban rule.

I urge all of my colleagues, on both sides of the aisle, to stand up for the women of Afghanistan who are suffering, who deserve our help.

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