AFGHANISTAN – FAMILY PLANNING LAW

Back in march, President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan signed and passed the Shia Family Planning Law. (Under the Afghan constitution, Shias can have family law separate from the Sunni majority). The Shia Family Planning law follows traditional Shia jurisprudence which sanctions marital rape and places Taliban-era restrictions on the women. Following international outrage, the law was amended and in July resigned, although it has not yet been ratified by parliament. The impact of this law if passed as well as other issues facing Afghan women today, is discussed by Janine di Giovanni in an article of July 24th in the Guardian. 

Women in Afghanistan

Look out for ABC’s “Four Corners” program about the situation of women in Afghanistan on 24-09-07 at 8.30pm.

-Jo