The Present Role of Afghan Refugee Women and Children. Studies and Evaluation Papers No. 7.

This paper examines the societal role of Afghan refugee women, and focuses on options for them. The war, and the ensuing migration to Pakistan of nearly 3.5 million refugees, the majority of whom were women and children, have led to the deterioration of religious tolerance and the rise of more conservative Islamic beliefs, which have placed additional restrictions on women in many areas. In the realm of health care, most of the small number of female professionals in the field have migrated to Western countries, and there are few opportunities to train replacements. The small number of educational opportunities for women that existed before the war have declined precipitously due to the fact that female education is often criticized by conservative religious leaders as a threat to the purity of the Islamic family. Although more refugee women have entered the work force out of economic necessity, they face continued discrimination for failing to fulfill the traditional roles expected of women. Some strategies for future action include: the creation by relief agencies of more realistic programs for helping women progress; more emphasis on the quality of a program rather than on the number of women assisted; and the inclusion of women, in suitable ways, in all relief projects. (MDM)