Senators from across the political spectrum expressed concerns about the security situation in Afghanistan post-U.S. and NATO withdrawal this year. AfghanWomen
“I want to put a face on what we are talking about in Afghanistan. … [These women] were murdered for choosing to live their lives outside of the narrow confines of what the Taliban and other extremist groups deem acceptable for women.”“They reflect thousands of other women in Afghanistan who have been the targets of violence.” said Sen. Shaheen. “We can call them courageous, and certainly we do, but they shouldn’t have to be courageous to do what they tried to do.
In her statement, Senator Jeanne Shaheen tried to put faces to some of the names of the women who have been assassinated by the Taliban just in the past year since the signing of the agreement between the U.S. and the Taliban. Shaheen brought a board with photos of the seven women, all ranging in careers and ages, including a journalist, physician, human rights activist and civil servants of the Afghan government.
As the only woman sitting on the Senate Foriegn Relations Committee, Sen. Shaheen has been the champion of defending and speaking for Afghan women’s human rights. She stated that, “This is not a women’s issue; it is a human rights issue, and it is the security issue for the future of Afghanistan.”