European Parliament
President
Question No 12 by Sarah Ludford  , which has been taken over by Mrs Thors
Subject: Women in Afghanistan and Iraq
In Afghanistan, over a year after the fall of the Taliban, life for most women is hardly getting any better. What action is the Council, in conjunction with the Commission, taking to improve the situation there for women, who in many cases are in practice still confined to their homes by widespread restrictions?
As an aid donor, what pressure is the EU putting on the Afghan interim government to stop harassment and oppression of women, such as bans on walking, obligatory wearing of the burqa and bans on being driven by a man in a taxi?
Will the Council ensure, to the best of its ability, that women in post-war Iraq get a fair deal in the process of physical and political reconstruction?

