WOMEN IN AFGHANISTAN

Early day motion 339, tabled 22 February 1999 by Gwyneth Dunwoody (Labour). Signed by 65 members.

That this House offers its support for the women of Afghanistan who have been stripped of rights taken for granted in this country, are banned from work and barred from receiving any education, are not allowed to leave home unaccompanied or to speak in public, are forced to wear the all-enveloping burqa and for whom healthcare is almost non-existent; notes that thousands of widows are deprived of the right to earn any livelihood for their families and that their children are forced to scavenge on the streets; and therefore calls upon the Government to initiate a campaign at the UN to ensure that the Declaration of Human Rights is respected in Afghanistan and the rights of women are upheld.

Signatures by party: Labour 50, Liberal Democrat 8, Labour/Co-operative 3, Scottish National Party 2, Conservative 1, Plaid Cymru 1.