Women, Human Rights and Afghanistan: The Struggle Continues Tahmeena Faryal Tuesday April 8, 2003 8:00 pm, Baxter Lecture Hall, Caltech This event is free and open to the public; no tickets or reservations are required. For security reasons, no cameras please Co-sponsored by Peaceful Justice at Caltech

Women, Human Rights and Afghanistan: The Struggle Continues

Tahmeena Faryal will speak on the following issues:

• Have the women and people of Afghanistan really been liberated by US bombs?
• Does the replacement of one fundamentalist terrorist regime in Afghanistan with another really root out terrorism and what might this foretell for Iraq?
• What challenges do the democratically minded people of Afghanistan and the world still face and how is RAWA addressing them?

About Tahmeena Faryal

Tahmeena Faryal is one of the leading spokeswomen of the Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan. In October 2001, Tahmeena testified in front of the Subcommittee of the US House on International Operations and Human Rights. Tahmeena was born in Afghanistan and raised in Pakistani refugee camps. She joined RAWA at a young age after attending a school run by RAWA members. Today she travels around the world speaking out on behalf of Afghan women and their rights. Tahmeena also works on RAWA's various projects in Pakistani refugee camps and inside Afghanistan when she is not travelling.

About RAWA

The Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan (RAWA) is the oldest political women's organization in Afghanistan. RAWA was founded in 1977 and after the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, they joined the anti-Soviet resistance and rejected the fundamentalist ideologies of the US-backed Mujahadeen. RAWA also strongly denounced the Taliban and today they reject the Northern Alliance who comprise much of Afghanistan's government. RAWA has been at the forefront of the Afghan women's movement - they maintain that a secular and democratic government in Afghanistan which ensures the rights of women alongside men, is the only solution for peace and stability in their country. In addition to RAWA's political work of organizing demonstrations and political campaigns, RAWA also coordinates humanitarian projects. These include the newly opened Malalai Hospital in Pakistan for Afghan refugees, a sustainable farming project in Afghanistan and scores of schools, orphanages, adult literacy courses and income generating courses for Afghan women and children. To find out more about RAWA, visit their website at www.rawa.org.