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Afghanistan: Afghan women who fight for freedoms

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Afghanistan: Afghan women who fight for freedoms

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While this horrifying scene may resemble what happened in that football stadium 13 years ago, in fact, much has changed. Within hours of Najiba's horrible death being broadcast worldwide, women in Afghanistan poured into the streets, seeking justice.

The leading voice was Fawzia Koofi, 37, an MP from the northern Badakhshan province, who is also Deputy Speaker of the Afghan parliament and aims to lead the country after elections due within two years.

As an outspoken advocate for women's rights, Koofi is only too happy to make Najiba the latest symbol of her campaign. "You bring a woman, and she is very defenceless, you bring her out and you kill her in front of everybody, and people cheer it and say 'Allah Akbar'. That is not part of our identity but rather an important phenomenon of war," Koofi says.

In the three months since Najiba's death, Koofi has travelled to Parwan many times to take on the authorities. On a visit to the local governor in his guest house, she puts the men in the room on notice, from the state governor through to the representative of foreign forces and local police.

Read more at The Australian, published 25 September 2012.

News

While this horrifying scene may resemble what happened in that football stadium 13 years ago, in fact, much has changed. Within hours of Najiba's horrible death being broadcast worldwide, women in Afghanistan poured into the streets, seeking justice.

The leading voice was Fawzia Koofi, 37, an MP from the northern Badakhshan province, who is also Deputy Speaker of the Afghan parliament and aims to lead the country after elections due within two years.

As an outspoken advocate for women's rights, Koofi is only too happy to make Najiba the latest symbol of her campaign. "You bring a woman, and she is very defenceless, you bring her out and you kill her in front of everybody, and people cheer it and say 'Allah Akbar'. That is not part of our identity but rather an important phenomenon of war," Koofi says.

In the three months since Najiba's death, Koofi has travelled to Parwan many times to take on the authorities. On a visit to the local governor in his guest house, she puts the men in the room on notice, from the state governor through to the representative of foreign forces and local police.

Read more at The Australian, published 25 September 2012.

News