On October 29, the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Oversight held a hearing, “Report from SIGAR: Challenges to Securing Afghan Women’s Gains in a Post-2014 Environment.” SIGAR stands for the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction.
“In May, I led my second trip to Afghanistan,” said Chair Martha Roby (R-AL). Rep. Roby continued, “Joined by [Rep. Niki] Tsongas [(D-MA)], [Rep. Tammy] Duckworth [(D-IL)], and several others, our agenda focused on women’s issues. We saw first-hand women and girls who were attending schools and universities, holding elected office, joining the military and police forces, and pursuing new opportunities previously denied to them. These are important gains that must not disappear once the U.S. reduces its forces in Afghanistan, and we must closely monitor conditions during this critical transition. The safety and security of Afghan women remains an important barometer for the success of our efforts.”
Ranking Member Niki Tsongas (D-MA) said, “[I]t is apparent that each of you is fundamentally in agreement that while there have been precious gains made for Afghan women and girls over the past decade, these gains are already threatened and will face significant challenges after the bulk of our armed forces have withdrawn at the end of 2014. Mr. Sopko’s testimony also notes the significant obstacles his and other federal agencies will face in performing oversight on the ground due to security challenges; as much as 80 percent of the country may simply be inaccessible. After 2014, not only may the gains which have been made for women be eroded in these areas, it is also likely that we may not even know the full extent of the setbacks, given the various challenges, which I have outlined.”
John Sopko, SIGAR, Office of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, outlined the status of women enlisted in the Afghan National Army (ANA), Afghan Air Force (AAF), and Afghan National Police (ANP): “The number of women in the ANA is increasing, but the goal for women to make up ten percent of the ANA and the Afghan Air Force remains distant. Women make up only 0.3 percent of the force…In the Afghan Air Force, 33 women were serving – 20 officers and 13 NCOs [Non Commissioned Officers].” Mr. Sopko added, “As in prior quarters, the number of women in the ANP is increasing, but progress has been slow toward reaching the goal to have 5,000 women in the ANP by the end of 2014. CSTC-A [Combined Security Transition Command – Afghanistan] said that ‘the ANP is currently focused more on finding secure areas (i.e., positions with appropriate facilities for females) for recruits than increasing recruiting to reach this target.” Despite an increase this quarter, women make up only one percent of the force.’” He noted that SIGAR will conduct an audit on the status of Afghan women to ensure that their gains remain protected during and after the transition: “SIGAR’s audit will identify U.S. government programs or initiatives to improve the rights and treatment of women in Afghanistan since fiscal year 2011. It will also assess the extent to which these programs and initiatives have been coordinated across different U.S. government agencies. Finally, the audit will identify challenges in addressing women’s issues in Afghanistan and evaluate U.S. efforts to address these challenges.”
“We have not made enough progress toward goals set for recruitment and retention of women in the ANSF [Afghan National Security Force],” said Michelle Barsa, senior manager for Policy, Inclusive Security Action. Ms. Barsa continued, “This is partially attributable to the environment, but also to an under-resourced effort. With an eye toward ensuring the national security forces serve all Afghan citizens – men and women – and an understanding that female presence will improve force effectiveness, the U.S. and its allies must reinvigorate efforts to reduce institutional barriers to women’s participation and increase female representation in both the ANA and ANP. We are grateful Congress has already taken steps to support these goals. The National Defense Authorization Act for FY2013 [P.L. 112-239]…emphasizes the importance of recruitment and retention of women in the ANSF…To clarify, reserving funds specifically for women doesn’t imply adding another line of effort to train and assist the ANSF. To effectively integrate women into the forces, interventions designed to recruit and retain women must be integrated into current U.S. efforts to support the ANSF under the primary funding categories of sustainment, infrastructure, equipment and transportation, training and operations. Making small modifications to the ongoing activities within each of those areas, we can create an environment within the forces that is less hostile to women. A safer work environment coupled with targeted recruitment campaigns will sustain, if not expand, female presence within the forces post-2014.”
Dr. Kenneth Katzman, specialist in Middle Eastern Affairs, Congressional Research Service, also testified.
