WOMEN IN AFGHANISTAN

Early day motion 1260, tabled 1 April 2009 by Baroness Clark of Kilwinning (Labour). Signed by 72 members.

That this House deplores the actions of President Hamid Karzai for recently introducing a law severely curtailing the rights of Afghan women; expresses its gravest concerns that reportedly under this law women must seek the permission of their husband to work, go into education or seek medical treatment; condemns the fact that this law may legalise marital rape and believes that this would violate both the United Nations Convention on Human Rights and the Afghan constitution; notes that the United Nations and leading human rights activists have expressed serious criticisms about the law; and calls on the Government to condemn strongly this law and seek immediate talks with President Karzai on the subject and urge him seriously to reconsider the move.

Signatures by party: Labour 47, Liberal Democrat 16, Independent 3, Conservative 2, DUP 2, Social Democratic and Labour Party 2.