InfoAnda - Insight: Once a symbol of new Afghanistan, can policewomen survive? |

Pakistanis angry over detentions in Times Sq. case
Monday, May 24, 2010
ISLAMABAD – Relatives of three men detained by Pakistan for alleged links to the suspect in the attempted Times Square bombing say the men are innocent.
They

Taiwan denies boycotting Australian film festival
Thursday, August 6, 2009

AFP - Thursday, August 6TAIPEI (AFP) - - Taiwan's Beijing-friendly government on Wednesday denied boycotting an Australian film festival amid a row over the e

Merkel's support dips, regional ally resigns International
Thursday, September 3, 2009

By Sarah Marsh and Noah Barkin

BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered a double blow on Thursday as a senior party ally in east German

Minister seeks closure of anti-Berlusconi websites
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
ROME (AFP) - – The Italian government moved Tuesday to close down Internet sites encouraging further violence against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who

Asian markets mixed after Wall Street rally
Wednesday, March 18, 2009

By ELAINE KURTENBACH,AP Business Writer AP - Wednesday, March 18SHANGHAI - Asia's stock market rally seemed to be running out of steam Wednesday, despite an

Ecuador plans local committees to defend revolution | International | | 16 August 2009
African heads to again seek U.N. Mali mandate: Ouattara | | 29 July 2012
Analysis: Europe seen needing regulation on Internet access | 23 December 2010

U.N. court ruling expands Nicaragua's offshore rights | | 20 November 2012

Forum Views () Forum Replies ()

Read more with google mobile : Insight: Once a symbol of new Afghanistan, can policewomen survive? |

Edition: U.S. Arabic Argentina Brazil Canada China France Germany India Italy Japan Latin America Mexico Russia Spain United Kingdom Home Business Business Home Economy Technology Media Small Business Legal Deals Earnings Social Pulse Business Video The Freeland File Aerospace & Defense Investing Simplified Markets Markets Home U.S. Markets European Markets Asian Markets Global Market Data Indices M&A Stocks Bonds Currencies Commodities Futures Funds peHUB Dividends World World Home U.S. Brazil China Euro Zone Japan Africa Mexico Russia India Insight World Video Reuters Investigates Decoder Politics Politics Home Supreme Court Politics Video Tech Technology Home MediaFile Science Tech Video Tech Tonic Social Pulse Opinion Opinion Home Chrystia Freeland John Lloyd Felix Salmon Jack Shafer David Rohde Nader Mousavizadeh Lucy P. Marcus Nicholas Wapshott Bethany McLean Anatole Kaletsky Zachary Karabell Edward Hadas Hugo Dixon Ian Bremmer Lawrence Summers Susan Glasser The Great Debate Reihan Salam Frederick Kempe Mark Leonard Steven Brill Breakingviews Equities Credit Private Equity M&A Macro & Markets Politics Breakingviews Video Money Money Home Tax Break Lipper Awards 2012 Global Investing MuniLand Unstructured Finance Linda Stern Mark Miller John Wasik James Saft Analyst Research Alerts Watchlist Portfolio Stock Screener Fund Screener Personal Finance Video Money Clip Investing 201 Life Health Sports Arts Faithworld Business Traveler Entertainment Oddly Enough Lifestyle Video Pictures Pictures Home Reuters Photographers Full Focus Video Reuters TV Reuters News Article Comments (0) Slideshow Full Focus Editor's Choice Our best photos from the last 24 hours. Slideshow Best photos of the year 2012 Download our Wider Image iPad app Follow Reuters Facebook Twitter RSS YouTube Read Maya apocalypse and Star Wars collide in Guatemalan temple 18 Dec 2012 House Republicans to vote on "fiscal cliff" bill Thursday: Cantor 18 Dec 2012 Inquiry harshly criticizes State Department over Benghazi attack 18 Dec 2012 UBS admits fraud in $1.5 billion Libor rigging deal 2:34am EST Insight: Once a symbol of new Afghanistan, can policewomen survive? 1:10am EST Discussed 114 Connecticut gun rampage: 28 dead, including 20 schoolchildren 74 White House won’t accept new tax offer from Republican leader 71 Connecticut town’s schools locked down following shooting report Pictures Reuters Photojournalism Our day's top images, in-depth photo essays and offbeat slices of life. See the best of Reuters photography. See more | Photo caption Tragedy in Newtown Mourning the victims of the Sandy Hook school shooting. Slideshow Roofless in Brazil Thousands have joined a growing Roofless Movement who find shelter in abandoned or vacant buildings in Sao Paulo. Slideshow Sponsored Links Insight: Once a symbol of new Afghanistan, can policewomen survive? Tweet Share this Email Print Related News Insight: Afghans turn to AK-47, fearing Taliban return or civil war Mon, Dec 17 2012 Taliban say suicide bomber targeted U.S. company in Kabul Mon, Dec 17 2012 Blast kills 10 Afghan girls collecting firewood Mon, Dec 17 2012 Bomber kills American near Afghan base after Panetta visit Thu, Dec 13 2012 U.S. defense chief in Afghanistan ahead of drawdown decision Wed, Dec 12 2012 Analysis & Opinion Delhi rape case and the need to revamp policing Gang rape puts spotlight on India’s rape capital Related Topics World » Afghanistan » United Nations » 1 of 13. An Afghan policewoman wears handcuffs during a training session in a classroom at the Afghan National Police Academy in Kabul December 9, 2012. Credit: Reuters/Omar Sobhani By Amie Ferris-Rotman KABUL | Wed Dec 19, 2012 1:10am EST KABUL (Reuters) - Shortly after Friba joined the Afghan National Police, she gave herself the nickname "dragon" and vowed to bring law and order to her tormented homeland. Five years later, she is tired of rebuffing the sexual advances of male colleagues, worries the budget for the female force will shrink and fears the government will abandon them. Women in the police force were held up as a showcase for Afghan-Western efforts to promote rights in the new Afghanistan, born from the optimism that swept the country after the ouster of the Taliban in 2001. Images of gun-wielding Afghan policewomen have been broadcast across the globe, even inspiring a television program popular with young Afghan women. But going from the burqa to the olive green uniform has not been easy. In Reuters interviews with 12 policewomen in districts across the Afghan capital, complaints of sexual harassment, discrimination and bitter frustration were prevalent. President Hamid Karzai's goal is for 5,000 women to join the Afghan National Police (ANP) by the end of 2014, when most foreign troops will leave the country. But government neglect, poor recruitment and a lack of interest on the part of authorities and the male-dominated society mean there are only 1,850 female police officers on the beat, or about 1.25 percent of the entire force. And it looks to get worse. Friba, who asked that her second name not be used, says it all when she runs a manicured finger across her throat: "Once foreigners leave we won't even be able to go to the market. We'll be back in burqas. The Taliban are coming back and we all know it." Conditions for women in Afghanistan have improved significantly since the Taliban were ousted. Women have won back basic rights in voting, education and work since Taliban rule, when they were not allowed out of their homes without a male escort and could be publicly stoned to death for adultery. But problems persist in the deeply conservative Muslim society scarred by decades of conflict. The United Nations said this month that despite progress, there was a dramatic under reporting of cases of violence against women. Some female lawmakers and rights groups blame Karzai's government for a waning interest in women's rights as it seeks peace talks with the Taliban, accusations his administration deny. "We have largely failed in our campaign to create a female police force," said a senior Afghan security official who declined to be identified because of the sensitivity of the subject. "Mullahs are against it, and the women are seen as not up to the job," he added, referring to Muslim preachers. Almost a third of the members of the female force work in Kabul, performing duties such as conducting security checks on women at the airport and checking biometric data. "CONSTANTLY HARASSED" Friba sat in a city police station room decorated with posters of policemen clutching weapons to talk to Reuters. "I am the dragon and I can defend myself, but most of the girls are constantly harassed," she said. "Just yesterday my colleague put his hands on one of the girl's breasts. She was embarrassed and giggled while he squeezed them. Then she turned to us and burst into tears." On the other side of Kabul, detective Lailoma, who also asked that her family name not be used, said several policewomen under her command had been raped by their male colleagues. Dyed russet hair poking out from her black hijab, part of the female ANP uniform, Lailoma wrung her hands as she complained about male colleagues: "They want it to be like the time of the Taliban. They tell us every day we are bad women and should not be allowed to work here." Male colleagues also taunt the women, she added, often preventing them from entering the kitchen, meaning they miss out on lunch. On several occasions, male colleagues interrupted Reuters interviews in what the policewomen said were attempts to intimidate them into silence. One male officer entered the room without knocking three times to retrieve pencils; another spent 20 minutes dusting off his hat, only to put it back on a shelf. The women switched subjects when the men came in. Rana, a 31-year-old, heavy-set policewoman with curly hair, said policewomen were expected to perform sexual favors: "We're expected to do them to just stay in the force." The raping of policewomen by their male counterparts "definitely takes place", said Colonel Sayed Omar Saboor, deputy director for gender and human rights at the Interior Ministry, which oversees the police. "These men are largely illiterate and see the women as immoral." Insecurity, opposition to women working out of the home and sexism deter many women from signing up, said Saboor. But impoverished widows sometimes have no choice. A starting salary is about 10,500 afghanis a month ($210). DIFFICULT The Interior Ministry and foreign organizations responsible for training the women police - NATO, the European Union and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) - say recruitment poses the main challenge to the force. "It is just difficult. There is no real history of women in the police force, there is no precedent, even having an open space for women in employment is a challenge," UNDP Associate Administrator Rebeca Grynspan told Reuters. A recruitment campaign of television adverts and posters has not produced the desired effect in a country where there are huge social and religious divides between the rural and urban populations. Even fewer join the national army, where some 350 women serve amongst 190,000. "Much of the male leadership don't want to have anything to do with women in the ANP. Commanders want them out of their units," Saboor said, adding that having 2,500 female police officers could be realistic by end-2014. Of those who join, few have prospects for promotion. They often find themselves in police stations without proper facilities for women, such as toilets or changing rooms which are vital for the many who hide the fact that they work from their families. The sprawling Interior Ministry has only recently started work on installing toilets for women. "Ten years of this war have passed, and we're only now building them a toilet," Saboor said with a wry laugh. For First Lieutenant Naderah Keshmiri, whose humble yet stern approach helps her pursue cases of violence against women, life as a policewoman means being undervalued. "My male subordinates quickly became generals. But not me. Where's my promotion?" she asked in a UNDP-backed Family Response Unit, which she heads. The UNDP has set up 33 of the units countrywide, which help increase female visibility in the ANP, with plans to more than double them by 2015. A Western female police trainer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said policewomen are almost always passed over for promotion by their male commanders. U.S. lawmakers are hoping to amend a defense bill by year-end to protect the rights of Afghan women during the security transition. They want to reduce physical and cultural barriers to women joining the security forces. Ethnicity also plays a role: 55 percent of women in the ANP are ethnic Tajik, Afghanistan's second-largest ethnic group. Recruiting from the largest and most conservative ethnic group, the Pashtuns, is difficult. The Taliban draw most of their support from the Pashtuns, who dominate the south of the country. Pashtun women make up only 15 percent of the force. Hazaras, a largely Shi'ite minority who suffered enormous losses at the hands of the Taliban, are overrepresented amongst the women, making up 24 percent, according to figures from NATO's training mission in Afghanistan. But many of the policewomen are wondering whether their force can survive. Lowering her voice, Friba whispered: "As soon as the foreigners leave, they'll reduce our salaries. This will not happen to the men. Or perhaps they'll kick us out entirely." (Editing by Michael Georgy and Robert Birsel) World Afghanistan United Nations Tweet this Link this Share this Digg this Email Reprints We welcome comments that advance the story through relevant opinion, anecdotes, links and data. If you see a comment that you believe is irrelevant or inappropriate, you can flag it to our editors by using the report abuse links. Views expressed in the comments do not represent those of Reuters. For more information on our comment policy, see http://blogs.reuters.com/fulldisclosure/2010/09/27/toward-a-more-thoughtful-conversation-on-stories/ Comments (0) Be the first to comment on reuters.com. Add yours using the box above. Edition: U.S. Arabic Argentina Brazil Canada China France Germany India Italy Japan Latin America Mexico Russia Spain United Kingdom Back to top Reuters.com Business Markets World Politics Technology Opinion Money Pictures Videos Site Index Legal Bankruptcy Law California Legal New York Legal Securities Law Support & Contact Support Corrections Connect with Reuters Twitter Facebook LinkedIn RSS Podcast Newsletters Mobile About Privacy Policy Terms of Use AdChoices Copyright Our Flagship financial information platform incorporating Reuters Insider An ultra-low latency infrastructure for electronic trading and data distribution A connected approach to governance, risk and compliance Our next generation legal research platform Our global tax workstation Thomsonreuters.com About Thomson Reuters Investor Relations Careers Contact Us Thomson Reuters is the world's largest international multimedia news agency, providing investing news, world news, business news, technology news, headline news, small business news, news alerts, personal finance, stock market, and mutual funds information available on Reuters.com, video, mobile, and interactive television platforms. Thomson Reuters journalists are subject to an Editorial Handbook which requires fair presentation and disclosure of relevant interests. NYSE and AMEX quotes delayed by at least 20 minutes. Nasdaq delayed by at least 15 minutes. For a complete list of exchanges and delays, please click here.

Other News on Wednesday, 19 December 2012
Israel presses on with plan for 6,000 new settler homes |
Mandela looking much better, to stay in hospital |
Chavez is life!
Berlusconi says Italy may be forced to leave the euro zone |
CAR rebels take diamond mining town, kill 15 soldiers |
South Korea votes in tight race on economy and jobs |
French psychiatrist sentenced after patient commits murder |
EU's Almunia sets deadline for Google antitrust plan |
Nielsen to buy Arbitron, forming TV, radio rating giant |
With new home, Mariinsky builds Russian roots |
Film producer Legendary Entertainment raises $443 million |
Insight: Once a symbol of new Afghanistan, can policewomen survive? |
Inquiry harshly criticizes State Department over Benghazi attack |
South Korea votes in tight race on economy and jobs |
Another polio worker shot in Pakistan, six killed in attacks |
Sri Lanka mass grave unearths ghosts from troubled past |
Greek public sector workers strike over reforms |
Malaysia takes in shipwrecked Myanmar migrants refused by Singapore |
Amid China tensions, Southeast Asia looks to India |
Chavez stable after respiratory infection |
Seventeen dead in Mexican prison break attempt: media |
ITC judge sides with Apple against Google on phone patent |
FTC to delay Google anti-trust probe decision: source |
Instagram tests new limits in user privacy |
Instagram says no plans to put user photos in ads |
Oracle beats outlook, shrugs off fiscal debate |
U.S. reaches e-books settlement with Penguin |
Facebook CEO Zuckerberg donates $500 million for health, education |
Samsung drops attempt to ban Apple sales in Europe |
FTC seeks to block computer switch maker deal |
Madonna leads Billboard's top-grossing tours |
Naomi Watts pulls off The Impossible to critical acclaim |
Time Warner Cable decides to bow out of Ovation |
Egyptian Islamists plan mass protest ahead of constitution vote |
U.N. seeks $1.5 billion to address Syria crisis |
Israeli PM vows to build in Jerusalem despite criticism |
Iraqi president's stroke fuels fears of crisis |
Nearly half of UK forces to leave Afghanistan in 2013 |
2012 deadliest year on record for journalists |
Italy president urges election be held on time |
Key issues may persist in Iran-U.N. nuclear talks: diplomats |
Strong software sales push Oracle shares to 19-month high |
Bankrupt Eastman Kodak to sell patents for $525 million |
Sberbank to buy Yandex online payments service: source |
Tubular raises $2.5 million to serve burgeoning YouTube industry |
Former Vivendi boss to run France's Thales |
A Minute With: Jessica Chastain on Zero Dark Thirty |
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time
AMD to Start Production of piledriver
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights

USD EUR - 1 year graph		BlogMeter 1.01