On January 27, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee held a hearing on the continuing stabilization and reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan.
In his opening statement, Chair Richard Lugar (R-IN) highlighted a number of “reasons to be optimistic about [Afghanistan’s] future” and stated, “Afghan women are going back to school and back to the workplace. They are also participating in the political process. The Constitution reserves 25 percent of the seats in the new lower house of Parliament for women, and the new Afghan government cabinet includes two women.”
The committee heard testimony from General James Jones, Supreme Allied Commander Europe, and Ambassador William Taylor, the State Department Coordinator for Afghanistan. Gen. Jones focused his comments on the internal security of Afghanistan and expressed the need for a stronger U.S. presence in the country, including additional troops. Ambassador Taylor discussed the political stability in Afghanistan, highlighting the presidential and parliamentary elections that are due to take place this summer. He also announced that the President is requesting an additional $2 billion for Afghanistan in his FY2005 budget.
During the question and answer session, Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) expressed her support for additional troops in Afghanistan, citing the unstable security situation. She reflected on statements made by the witnesses and her colleagues, and noted that, although more children are back in school, parents are still afraid to send their daughters to school because girls’ schools are targeted by Taliban loyalists. She also noted that women continue to face social discrimination and discrimination from the Afghan government.
In her conclusion, Sen. Boxer announced her sponsorship of the Afghan Women Security and Freedom Act of 2004 (S. 2032). The bill would authorize $300 million through FY2007 for programs in Afghanistan that benefit women and girls. Of that amount, $20 million would be earmarked for the Afghan Ministry of Women’s Affairs and $10 million for the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission.
