AFGHAN WOMEN

—by Marietta Moskin

On Wednesday, March 15, All Souls hosted a panel discussion by four Afghan women, moderated by UUA President Rev. William Sinkford and organized by Fran Mercer for the UUUNO committee here at the church.

Hearing the stories told by those women about the hardships suffered in their homeland in the past and still now was a gripping and emotional experience. Particularly stressed by all the speakers were the lack of education and medical care, particularly for women, and the absence of any civil infrastructure on which a new Afghanistan can be built.

I was struck most, however, by their honest appraisal of the further damage caused by American troops in our on-going war on terrorism and their strong complaint that the efforts by international organizations that try to ameliorate the reproductive healthcare of women is hampered by American financial constraints banning US contributions to such groups that also sponsor birth control efforts in totally different settings and places. The argument by our current administration that "money is fungible" and can therefore be used by such organizations in any way they see fit, prevents help to Afghan women and babies dying in childbirth for lack of proper affordable medical care and sanitation. Thus does our domestic intramural political squabble about life vs. choice impinge on needy women thousands of miles away.

Their openness about American shortcomings while telling us about their financial needs made their presentation particularly poignant in many different ways.