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Afghans Celebrate Women's Day
Friday, March 8, 2002
(17:05 GMT)
The BBC

Afghanistan is promising more help for women.
Image Credit: The Associated Press.

"We want every Afghan girl to have a pen and book in her hands and go to school," said Sima Samar, the interim government's Minister of Women's Affairs.

Countries around the world are celebrating International Women's Day -- the main theme being the plight of Afghan women.

Afghan women leaders called for at least 25% of the seats in the loya jirga or traditional assembly -- being set up to appoint a transitional government to run the country until elections in 2004 -- to be reserved for women.

The call came as United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mary Robinson, attended a ceremony in Kabul to mark women's day.

Events have been organised all week to highlight the plight of women in Afghanistan -- denied access to education and the right to work under the Taleban regime.

The day is being marked in various ways all around the world -- in New York, First Lady Laura Bush, the wife of President George W Bush, addressed a conference at the UN.

"Afghanistan under the Taleban gave the world a sobering example of a country where women were denied their rights and their place in society," Mrs Bush said.

"Prosperity cannot follow peace without educated women and children," she added.

* Celebrating freedom
* Other events around the world
* Overlooked areas
(More: BBC Online News Source)
2002 © The British Broadcasting Corporation.

Dan