지난 4월 5일, 아프가니스탄 지방 의회 여성 의원인 나이다 키아니(Nida Khyani)가 괴한으로부터 총기 공격을 받아 위독한 상태에 빠졌다.
국제앰네스티는 “아프가니스탄 정부와 연합군은 공무에 참여하는 여성들과 인권 옹호자들을 충분히 보호하는데 실패했다”며 무장 세력의 공격에 노출된 아프간 여성들에 대한 우려를 나타냈다.
최근 아프가니스탄 내에서는 공무에 참여하는 여성에 대한 공격이 증가하고 있다. 탈레반이 장악한 지역에서는 특히 더 공격이 빈번하다.
지난해 4월, 지역 의회 의원인 시타라 아차크자이(Sitara Achekzai)가 칸다하르(Kandahar)에서 살해됐고, 지난 달에는 정치인 파우지아 코피(Fawzia Kofi)가 기습 공격으로 부상당했다. 나이다 키아니 의원은 아프가니스탄 북부 바글란(Baghlan) 주도(州都) 풀리훔리(Pul-e-Khumri)에서 공격을 당했다.
국제앰네스티는 이와 관련해 “탈레반이 무너진 이후 자력으로 아프간 여성들이 쟁취한 권리가 여전히 취약함을 보여주는 사건”이라고 지적했다. 국제앰네스티 아시아-태평양국(局) 샘 자리프(Sam Zarifi) 국장은 “미군, 나토(Nato)군과 함께 카르자이(Karzai) 정부는 여성 활동가에 대한 공격을 긴급한 문제로 받아들이고, 철저한 조사를 통해 아프간 여성들의 권리를 보호하고 증진시키려는 노력을 해야 한다”고 강조했다.
한편, 현재까지 어떤 단체도 이 공격과 관련해 책임을 밝히지 않고 있다.
Attack on Afghan female politician highlights growing risk to women
Thursday 8 April 2010
Nida Khyani, a female Provincial Council member, was left in critical condition after being attacked in a drive-by shooting in Pul-e-Khumri.The shooting of a female Afghan politician on Monday demonstrates the fragility of the modest gains made by Afghan women after the fall of the Taleban, Amnesty International said on Thursday.
Nida Khyani, a female Provincial Council member, was left in critical condition after being attacked in a drive-by shooting in Pul-e-Khumri, the provincial capital of Baghlan in northern Afghanistan.
“Nida Khyani is yet another casualty of the systematic violent targeting of women in public life in Afghanistan,” said Sam Zarifi, Director of Amnesty International’s Asia Pacific programme.
“The Afghan government and the international troops supporting it have failed to adequately protect women working in public office and as human rights defenders,” said Sam Zarifi. “The ability of Afghan women to be active outside their homes should be a key benchmark for the effectiveness of the Afghan government and NATO troops, and in this regard, the record is quite poor.”
To date, no group has assumed responsibility for the attack.
Afghan women with public roles have faced increasing attacks over the past two years, particularly in areas under the control of the Taleban.
Last month, a female member of the national Afghan Parliament, Fawzia Kofi, was injured by gunfire, again attacked by unknown gunmen while traveling from Jalalabad to Kabul.
In April last year, Sitara Achekzai, a member of the Kandahar provincial council, lawmaker, was killed in Kandahar.
Amnesty International has received numerous further reports of attacks, threats and harassment against women human rights defenders and female politicians in Afghanistan.
“President Karzai’s government as well as US and other NATO forces should investigate attacks on women activists as a matter of urgency, to send a signal that they are committed to protecting and promoting the rights of Afghan women,” Zarifi said.
The UN Declaration of Elimination of Violence Against Women calls on states to exercise due diligence to prevent, investigate and in accordance with national legislation punish acts of violence against women, regardless of who the perpetrators are.
